Alter Earth: (IN)SANITY
by Awesome D.T
Summary: "They were crazy. EVERYTHINGWASCRAZY. No, she COULDN'T - she COULDN'T handle . . . . . SHE COULDN'T HANDLE IT!" It was a school for the mentally insane. For the poor, rejected, twisted, scarred souls. It was Mami's School - which turned the wheels of fate and started everything. SYOC CLOSED
1. Prologue

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **Sometimes, I want to punch nails into the side of my cranium for releasing this SYOC. Other times, I want to hug myself with elation and treat myself to a large KFC bucket. Looks like sanity comes in twos, and that's why, being a tarot card believer, I have painfully constructed this SYOC, knowing full well what the repercussions may be.**

 **Yes, I am an idiot. Cuss at me all you want but SYOCs once published, are published. You can delete them from the fandom but they'll NEVER be completely erased from the reader's mind.**

 **. . . . . I'm not scaring you all, am I?**

 **Prologue**

"Will you be alright, dear?"

She brushed prudently through the golden strands, fixing the unruly waves into two low twin tails with pretty cerulean ribbons. Her uneven front bangs were pushed to the side with a cerulean barrette, only letting a few stray strands escape down her forehead. A dash of pink chap stick – and she was done.

"I will be okay, mom" she smiled assuredly, her face dabbed with confidence and serenity. A cerulean suitcase was lifted from the ground and brown dress shoes walked against the crimson carpeted floor. "It's just a month-old assignment – a game of observance and friendship." Somewhere, a bell jingled. The girl dusted her jeans and made way towards the door of the living room. "I'll be off then."

"Awwwwwwww, darling!" a busty woman drawled, amber hair glowing down in long, neatly flowing curls. Enveloped between bouncing E-cups momentarily, she soon let go before staring up at her beautiful mom. "My talented Maddy will do good for those poor children!" With a large kiss, a great impression of oxblood lips stained her forehead before she wiped it off with a quick swipe of her handkerchief.

The girl showed perfect rows of teeth in a large grin before returning her mother's affectionate kiss with a small peck on the cheek. "Take care, mom. I'll see you soon." And those were the parting words after which she strutted out into the cold air, a harsh breeze commemorating the beginning of May. The blonde decidedly paid no heed to the cold and walked into a black Skoda Rapid, checking the large bundle of luggage in the backseat before keying the vehicle to life. She offered one final wave to her pretty mother standing on the doorstep before driving through the open gates of her manor and into the disciplined and the abnormally clean streets of Berlin. Cars paraded their beautiful metal bodies in a fashion show, dashing across the streets – however, the heroine adopted a steady pace of 37 miles an hour. Next to her, on the dashboard, lay a neatly folded letter. Inside, were the printed words:

 _Dear Miss Kasner_

 _As your summer holiday assignment for being a member of the advanced class, you must visit Mami's School for the Socially Troubled and make a 50 page report on the atmosphere, students, academic facilities and decorum of the school. Observe and assess the new surroundings and make friends with the students – a letter has been sent to Mrs. Olga Dmietrievna, the school owner and Director and she has readily agreed to make your acquaintance and comfortably establish your stay in the school for a month._

 _Yours Sincerely_

 _Roald Dvachevskaya_

 _Principal of Goethals Academy_

She resisted the feeling to snort – it was very tough resistance. Why did they send HER to the school for the 'Mentally Troubled'? She hated being the charmer at times – the strong charisma she possessed helped her a lot in daily life but she didn't know if she could use it on the 'socially troubled' teenagers she'd have to fake-smile around.

 _What was their thinking pattern? WHAT WAS 'WRONG' AND WHAT WAS 'RIGHT' FOR THEM? DIDTHEYFOLLOWSOCIALCUESDIDTHEYEVENREALIZEWHATSOCIALCUES WERE?_

Madeleine Kasner gripped the steering wheel tighter for a few seconds, the speed lolling over to 10 miles faster but raking in a forced breath, she was back to normal. Besides, a glance at overview mirror told her that grimaces didn't suit her doll face – there, that smile looked wonderful, perfectly sculpted.

 _The Charmer._

Well, she had to live up to that name, no matter what.

Hours passed and traffic thinned. Skyscrapers were beginning to fade and were replaced by scattered houses and shops – which gave ways to endless rows of trees on each side of the concrete road. The moon shyly peeked like a newly-wed bride out of the canopy and silence loomed overbearingly, only punctuated by the occasional hoot of a pondering owl or the symphony of bored insects. Over the thick rows of trees, there was the barest hint of a red, looming tower which seemed to stare piercingly at her as she drove by. Madeleine looked away, focusing on the bigger picture as slowly, the whole of 'Mami's School' becoming visible from its camouflage in the dense thicket.

She stopped the car in front of the gigantic, arched gates.

"Impressive."

The size of the place was not a mark on the huge expanse of Goethals but nevertheless, the Gothic Victorian architecture and the dull tones of earthy colours painted on the buildings marked it as ancient infrastructure. With deep crimson slanted roofs, a spiralling clock tower and minaret-like gray buildings, it could've passed off as the perfect replica for a Dark Ages movie.

The gates had statues of two Harpies with extremely unnerving scowls guarding them. Madeleine quickly donned a white blazer over her monochrome striped T-shirt and briefly fixing her hair, drove in as the entrance opened with an expected creak. Her Skoda travelled over a cobbled pathway towards the looming School – and, standing in front of the tall double-doors inside, she could make out a plump, hunched figure in dark attire.

The native German parked her vehicle in the designated parking lot next to a blingy scooter and quickly collecting her luggage and the assignment letter, plastered a calming smile and began walking towards the standing lady – who was very likely Mrs. Dmietrievna.

Having driven here with the windows rolled up, she had no idea what the atmosphere was like outside. As soon as she stepped out in the outside air, a horrifying chill physically took hold of her and curled through her spine, seeping into the very calcium of her bones. Madeleine quickly turned back, her face spasmed into horror – but excluding the neatly trimmed green shrubs, there was no tangible form there.

 _Strange,_ her emerald eyes narrowed for the span of a few seconds as she made way towards the large building, quickly smoothing her suspicious expression into one of pleasantness. _I am_ _ **never**_ _mistaken. That feeling was . . . . . . terrible._

 _Like someone just squeezed my soul._

The stairs were slowly receding and the plump, elderly figure remained rooted to the spot she'd noted when she first entered – Mrs. Dmietrievna was dressed in a long, trailing black skirt and what seemed to be a dark gray blouse, with a warm crimson and black shawl wrapped around her hunched body. Silver strands were braided into a long, intricate side plait and her dry lips were neither in a scowl nor a smile. They were a simple, thin line of placidity.

"Mrs. Dmietrievna" the luggage was placed on the tiled porch as Madeleine respectfully bowed, her voice and smile the epitome of pleasant. "I am Madeleine Kasner, representative for Goethals Academy. You must've-"

Her words were cut short with the swift turn made by the old patriarch. Madeleine was quick to catch herself as Mrs. Dmietrievna said in a steely voice "Follow me inside, Miss Kasner."

The lady had faint traces of a Russian accent but nothing very pronounced. The one thing Madeleine was shocked by was how the tall, mahogany doors opened as soon as the lady had shown her back – and there was no one on the other side.

 _No one who could've opened the doors._

Madeleine uttered a quiet word of agreement and let her smile fade only a little, giving Mrs. Dmietrievna the benefit of the doubt – but inwardly, her guard had gone up. She would not be surprised anymore, she swore to herself, and so . . . . .

She did not even flinch when the doors closed – on their own again.

 **Notes:**

 **This is a prequel to AEBC – don't ask me how, why or when. All I'm gonna tell you guys now is that your OCs are gonna be mentally disabled kids who have supernatural powers and they battle certain 'creatures' using these powers and their weapons. There're both humane and supernatural characters – your OCs, for the time being, are 'stuck between the two.' You must give them humane pasts WITHOUT any supernatural incidents or any presence of the supernatural in their lives before they entered Mami's School.**

 **The 'Essence' is a supernatural power (you can take the X-men or Kuro13Dead's fic 'One Life, One Chance' as reference) but it MUST have a weakness.**

 **Weapons can be conventional (katana, bow-and-arrow, pistol) or personalized (like blades stuck to the thighs which have four pointed spears that stab things). They will be used in conjunction with 'Essence' by our heroes and heroines to combat the evil.**

 **Also, at first, everything may seem absurd or supernatural without explanation – but I assure you, science fiction plays a great part in the story as well. 'Everything happens for a reason' is the primary motto of this story – and everything will be explained slowly and gradually. Nothing comes out of the blue.**

 **Rules:**

 **OCs must be EXTREMELY interesting, creative, crazy and detailed. No exceptions.**

 **They can have a maximum of three minor disorders or one major disorder.**

 **Most of the blocks on the app are susceptible to change.**

 **For statistics, I won't take one point less or more.**

 **Characters can have only one essence and weapon.**

 **Since this is also a mystery story, everything will be revealed gradually.**

 **OC senders must review at least once every four chapters – or your OC(s) will face the consequences.**

 **Maximum of two OCs per sender.**

 **Deadline is on 23** **rd** **January, 12:00 a.m. Greenwich time. You have a whole month – so enjoy and work hard.**

 **Character App**

 **Stage I - Basic Information**

Name: (Let's just say that if your OC's Japanese and her real name is Chelsea Mignonette Aria Crescendo . . . . YOU'RE IN DEEP SHIT +^+)

Nickname/Alias: (Is your OC living under a fake identity? Too long a name? Too boring a name? Too embarrassing a name? Too embarrassing friends? Parents? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? . . . . PLEASE ADD AT LEAST ONE NICKNAME!)

Age: (10-17 people. For kids who are 18 and above, a real asylum will be provided)

Nationality: (I freaking BEG of you - PLEASE NOT MANY JAPANESE! TT-TT PLEASE! I would've understood if this was set in Japan or even in Asia BUT THIS IS SET IN BERLIN! I will accept a maximum of three OCs for every nationality)

Ethnicity: ('American' is not an ethnicity. Examples of ethnic races are Caucasian, Hispanic, Aryan, Mongoloid etc.)

Religion: (Mention your OC's religion and special religious views, if any, here as well)

Sexuality: (GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT!)

Social/Psychological/Mental/Emotional Problem: (Basically, this is the 'condition' which lands them in 'Mami's School.' It can be anything which makes your OC seem 'abnormal' amongst other normal humans – a legitimate mental disorder or a severe personality problem or freaky habit. It can be extremely obvious to others or well hidden enough to fool people for a while. But this portion is EXTREMELY important. Put a lot of thinking into this)

 **Stage II - (Nothing more exciting than deciding your OC's appearance! *w*)**

Height: (As long as there's no extremes, I'm free with anything)

Weight: (Match it with height and age)

Hair Colour: (GO WILD! There exist other colours except black, brown and blond(e)!)

Hair style: (You may have to make changes to this since I'm gonna accept only one OC for each hairstyle)

Eye Colour: (Burgundy, Amethyst, Jade, Vermillion, Rose - EVERYTHING ACCEPTED!)

Voice and Speech Pattern: (Please describe their voice and their speech pattern. Do they cuss a lot? Have a specific accent? Use a lot of annotations? Use very formal language?)

Skin tone: (Up for everything)

Body type: (^_^; He he he . . . . forgot to add this in my previous fic. But - HERE IT IS NOW!)

Cup size: (^_^; He he he . . . . . . I'd forgotten to add this too last time. P.S: I love BIG BOOBS, ladies . . . . .)

Signature Outfit: (Okay guys, NOW THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS APP. The signature outfit is the one your OC wears most of the time so make it something VERY, VERY cool. Like, **VERY** cool. Cool on the level of Naruto and Bleach. P.S: Make them lean towards temperature of 22 Celsius or 83 Fahrenheit.)

Casual outfits: (Here I need outfits your OC wears when they're not in their Signature Outfits. You MUST add a swimwear, a sleepwear, a formal party outfit and a winter outfit.)

Special: (Do your OCs have any sort of special birthmarks? Tattoos? Accessories? Heirlooms?)

 **Stage III - Background (THIS IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR APP. Give it your all!)**

Background: (Okay, now PLEASE, PLEASE be creative with this. Remember, Also, MORE THAN 250 WORDS PLEASE)

Family: (Add the names, ages, occupations, a little bit about personality and appearance and what kind of relationship they share(d) with your OC)

 **Stage IV - Personality (MOST IMPORTANT SECTION! Screw it up and I'll screw you)**

Personality: (More than 200 words - AND DON'T NEED STEREOTYPICAL CARDBOARD CUTOUTS)

Alignment: (Eh, you know what's alignment right? Even if you don't, most of you have internet - or friends for information. {GO ASK MOOKIE AND EKO SINCE I BORROWED THIS FROM THEM})

Unusual/Bad Habits: (EVERY CHARACTER HAS ONE. Even if it's a Takumi Usui prototype)

Hobbies: (Fighting isn't the only thing your OC does, is it?)

Likes: (. . . . . I seriously don't have a funny quip for this)

Dislikes: (. . . . . . . Ditto)

Quotes: (SIX. QUOTES. OR. GO. SUCK. PEACOCK)

Fears: (+^+ "Hell hath no fury like Awesome DT scorned." And if you add nothing to this, I'LL BE SCORNED AS HELL)

Secrets: (Ahahahahahahaha, everybody has secrets. Even if it's something as trivial as "Ariel wet her bed until she was in 5th grade" {And no, I'm TOTALLY NOT referring to someone})

 **Stage V - War (THE MOST BORING OF THEM ALL BUT GUESS YOU GOTTA HAVE IT)**

Fighting style: (I'm no fighting expert but I AM pretty studious)

'Essence': (What kind of 'power' does your OC possess? Well, it can actually be anything but it cannot be without a weakness. Think X-Men – you can go from ice manipulation to super healing to nullification to psycho kinesis. I'd like to see what you people can come up with)

Weapon: (No special term for this but every child in Mami's School uses a weapon – personalized or conventional – in conjunction with their 'Essence' to battle. The weapon will revert back to a normal accessory after battle – sunglasses, pendant, hair clip, ring – which the OC must have on them at all times)

 **Stage VI - OC Behaviour (Please try to elaborate the answers. Not please: I COMMAND YOU TO ELABORATE THE ANSWERS! *uses Geass*)**

Reaction to unprecedented otherworldly beings:

Reaction to death:

Behaviour when angry:

Behaviour when sad:

Behaviour towards crush:

Behaviour towards love rivals:

Behaviour towards admirers:

Behaviour towards adults:

Behaviour towards kids and teenagers:

 **Stage VII - Statistics (Alright, zombies, this is a pretty basic statistical list. All of you have a total of 60 points. The points allocated represent the following remarks: 0=No Skill, 1=Negligible Skill, 2=Very Low Skill, 3=Low Skill, 4=Below Average Skill, 5=Average Skill, 6=Above Average Skill, 7=Good Skill, 8=Very Good Skill, 9=Excellent Skill, 10=Perfect Skill)**

Strength: (This is the literal muscle strength your OC has that helps them lift heavy objects, break bones and concrete with equal ease. Also, it determines the strength your attacks have)

Speed: (Is your OC so blindingly fast that [s]he can race with light? It determines how fast your OC's movements are)

Flexibility: (Can your OC bend themselves like a professional contortionist? Determines the agility of your character)

Dexterity: (Does your OC wield a spear with one hand while the other stays limp by the side? Or are both appendages occupied?)

Intelligence: (Is your OC as sharp as a pin or as dull as a pebble? Determines the power of grey matter)

Endurance: (Does your OC cry because of a small boo-boo or can withstand the pain of a thousand whips? Determines how much damage your OC can take before succumbing to injuries)

Awareness: (Does your OC focus on only the person in the front or does [s]he have eyes behind their head? Determines your OC's alertness to surroundings)

Teamwork: (Is your character a lone wolf or do they hunt in packs? The team is very important for survival in the wild. Determines your OC's rhythm with others)

Stamina: (Is your OC capable of fighting continually for hours on end or do they have their limits set short? Determines how long your OC can fight/run/work/etc.)

Sanity: (Can your OC keep cool and sane under intense pressure or do they easily give out to their insane and reckless side? Determines your OC's calmness under pressure . . . . . . and something else)

Charisma: (Can your OC charm the iciest of people or are they so unlikable that they're despised by the kindest of hearts? Determines your OC's lovable-ness)

Recovery: (Determines your OC's recovery speed. People with the ability 'Healing' must put a 10 on this)

Strengths: (I'd prefer if you filled your Statistics first and then came down to this)

Weaknesses: (Strengths and weaknesses must be equal - HEAR THAT?! +^+)

Thoughts on and behaviour towards Madeleine: (Since they're gonna be meeting her for the first time, you need to be a little detailed for the future too)

Extra Information: (Whatever extra you have that I missed, put it in here)

 **I look forward to your characters.**

 **Madeleine: *bows shortly* Have a good day. :)**


	2. OC List

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **I sincerely thank all of you for the massive support you've given me and the amount of reviews, favourites and follows clearly exceeds the number I had in mind. I had hoped to have a chapter ready with the OC list but I've been in the grip of viral fever since the past three days. TT-TT Forgive me.**

 **Moving on.**

 **Also, for all those readers who want to send in an extra OC, you'll be glad to know that the character limit for each sender has increased to two. The deadline for your extra character is 2** **nd** **February. The deadline perceives to people who haven't sent in any character till now as well.**

 **Thank you to all the dear readers who sent in their OCs and their support for the story. There were some who couldn't make it due to minor distractions but to those who did, congratulations from the bottom of my heart. Here are the list of the OCs who were accepted in 'Mami's School':**

 **Anthon Wallin {Room No. 200}** – created by CommanderAnth0n7

 **Aran Nielsen {Basement Room 1} –** created by Enarmonios

 **Aria Rivers/? {Room No. 234} –** created by Little Knight Mik

 **Asriel Kritanta {The Greenhouse} –** created by Insanity's Jewel

 **Atlas Wallin {Room No. 200} –** created by CommanderAnth0n7

 **Ayumi Daitoryu {Room No. 34} –** created by HIKAGE-SAMA

 **Ayumu Burakgazi {Room No. 245} –** created by Little Knight Mik

 **Eris Nemesis Seraphim {Room No. 303 and 304} –** created by Lady Selphie-chan

 **Garrick Alister Ashworth {Room No. 97} –** created by BlackJack77

 **Gwen Sharp {The Attic} –** created by Lazersword88

 **Jamie Whilhelmsson {Room No. 35} –** created by PotatoInUrFace

 **Kurumi Kirigaya {Basement Room 2} –** created by Kiyumie

 **Lena Petropolis {Room No. 316} –** created by Enarmonios

 **Madeleine Kasner {Room No. 246} –** created by Awesome D.T.

 **Mihai Nicolae Florescu {Room No. 158} –** created by Aviator Capi

 **Niji Akamatsu {Room No. 34} –** created by Insanity's Jewel

 **Nyx Gaia Seraphim {Room No. 303 and 304} –** created by Lady Selphie-chan

 **Park Haejin {Room No. 156} –** created by Rose Rain 7

 **Raven Wulfric/Lykke Raven Frost {Room No 245} –** created by Mookiebear12

 **Rayne Lynn Lowell {Room No. 316} –** created by ShinBP

 **Reid QuiYan Bai {Room No. 156} –** created by R.J. Niner

 **Robin Levi Sawyer {Room No. 97} –** created by ShinBP

 **Tala Willson {Room No. 246} –** created by Ghost132

 **Tethys Dione Seraphim {Room No. 303 and 304} –** created by Io Mahone

 **Theia Hemera Seraphim {Room No. 303 and 304} –** created by Europa Mahone

 **Themis Metis Seraphim {Room No. 303 and 304} –** created by Callisto Mahone

 **Tommy Thomas Thompson {Room No. 35} –** created by AncientUnicorn

 **Yorra Ryu {Room No. 234} –** created by Thedaffodilqueen

 **~ Review Replies ~**

To AncientUnicorn:

 **Oh well, thank you for your review! Since this is the prequel, you don't really need to read it sequel, AEBC. XD Looks like laziness triumphed, didn't it? But anyways, thank you for checking out the story and for your kind review! I appreciate it!**

To Koreijutsu-shi:

 ***yandere aura* ^w^ Ah, Korei-kun! Hello there! My my, I didn't think you'd have the audacity to come and check out my story after putting me through severe torture. I would thank you but seeing as you have not updated in decades *yandere aura grows* . . . .**

To BloodStarGeneral:

 **QwQ Looks like the laziness virus captured you to . . . . . anyway, thank you for your review and for checking the story out!**

To Hell Vanguard Lich – Argyros:

 **TT-TT I'm sorry Princess but it's just . . . . sometimes, problems arise.**

To enarmonios:

 **Germans *shakes head* They thrive on risks and hard work. *_* But don't you think it would be interesting to visit a school for mentally unstable children? Anyway, thanks for the review! I hope you'll be a part of my every SYOC, Ena-kun.**

To imea619:

 **Kahuna definitely was an exemplary character. QwQ However, looks like the laziness virus has caught a lot of people. Thank you for the review though!**

To bored kid 48:

 **Huh . . . . . the laziness virus is still spreading rampantly. QwQ Oh well, thank you for the review!**

To Mookiebear12:

 **B-( Still waiting for your OC, woman! And no~ . . . . I'm not taking that off! XD You gonna send ghouls? I rule Hell, baby. *sends flying kiss* =w= Pure revenge. I WANT YOUR OC FAST, ARIEL. FAST. RIGHT NOW. You cannot torture me like this! But thanks for the lovely review, darling~.**

To ShinBP:

 **Well of course I can't let you flourish without any competition, can I? Mark my words, I WILL challenge you for the throne! But thanks for the lovely review, darling!**

To R. J. Niner:

 **=w= Do you even have time to be participating in all this? (YOU HAVEN'T UPDATED FOR FRIGGIN 3 MONTHS!) But I'm glad you're here, Pocky – OCs from you are always a sweet treat. :) YOU IN COLLEGE NOW?! XD Heeheehee . . . . looks like our Pocky is growing OLDDDDDDDDD~~~~! Thanks for the review!**

To Ghost132:

 **Ghost-san, glad to see familiar faces! :D And of course, Maggie was there since the beginning . . . just, not in this universe. XD Thanks for the review!**

To Nahliel Michelangelo Sparda:

 **QwQ Computers turn into rampant bitches at the most obsolete times. Oh well, thank you for the review, Nahliel-kun. X( Wish you could be a part of AEI though . . . . .**

To HIKAGE-SAMA:

 **-_-; Do you people even have time for all this? Anyway, Ayumi-kun seems *_* . . . . ADORABLE. =w= Not that you've sent him to me . . . . HURRY UP, BITCHES! XD Or I'll change your names to Loseryus from Daitoryus. XDDDDD Fufufufufufu . . . . . Thanks for the review though.**

To Rose Rain 7:

 **Woman, I've said this once and I'll say it again . . . . . YOU MUST GET THE AWARD FOR BEST REVIEWER. Come on FF, do an Award Ceremony or something! Also, not like tough criteria are any problem for you, you talented writer. XD Oh boy, you have one hell of an imagination! Ashes to Ashes was a piece of shit and I HATE pieces of shit, especially when they're my stories. (ARE YOU PSYCHOTIC HOW CAN YOU LIKE THAT PIECE OF SHIT?!) Anyways, thanks for the review, Rosey!**

To Aviator Capi:

 **And thank YOU for your wonderful OC – also, for the sweet review! :D**


	3. Ep1 - tHe WoRlD iS fIlLeD wItH cOlOuRs

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **I hope the wait wasn't TOO long? . . . . I'm sorry if it was though. Since I don't want any confusion later on, I'll tell everyone that this story is not action-centric like AEBC. Of course, there will be action, but AEI focuses more on psychological and emotional relationships of the characters with some dabbling in the supernatural as well. *w* Also, a staple of ANY Awesome D.T. fic- LOTS and LOTS of romance! *gleeful cries* From love triangles to secret crushes to unrequited love, THIS WILL BE A ROMANCE FEST!**

 **P.S: Not suffocatingly, of course . . . .**

 **Also, I've decided to introduce Madeleine's OC form in parts to all of you. So, here's her Statistical List:**

 **Strength: 2**

 **Speed: 4**

 **Flexibility: 3**

 **Dexterity: 2**

 **Intelligence: 8**

 **Endurance: 3**

 **Awareness: 8**

 **Teamwork: 8**

 **Stamina: 4**

 **Sanity: 5**

 **Charisma: 10**

 **Recovery: 3**

 **Now onto the chapter! *rides away on a unicorn***

 **x Episode 1 – tHe WoRlD iS fIlLeD wItH cOlOuRs x**

She sipped the light coloured liquid tentatively, trying to look for disparities in the flavour of the chamomile tea. She had found none yet and it put her under a little ease (they were not trying to drug her, thankfully!) – but then, the two events which had transpired till now put her into an uncomfortable position again. She would not act like the stupid protagonist in fiction who simply ignored whispered voices and self-sufficiently closing wooden doors. She HATED those kinds of characters.

Madeleine sat in a warmly coloured room, a stark contrast from the greying walls and terribly depicted abstract pictures that littered the parallel walls of the corridor they'd walked through to get here. The sofa was comfortable, an antique and seemingly expensive plush model of crimson shade, and the ceiling and walls were painted in a homely tangerine with intricate wooden whittle in some places. There was a low coffee table (in the shape of a horizontal teardrop) in front of her where she'd placed her tea cup beside a large pot and a plate of Monte Carlo biscuits. Directly in front of her, drinking tea poured from the same pot was the aged and eccentric Mrs. Olga Dmietrievna – who slowly turned to face her.

"The tea is pleasantly brewed, Mrs. Dmietrievna" Madeleine smiled, trying her best to renew drying conversation. "I am quite fond of chamomile tea – the subtle hints of flowers are very refreshing."

She hated tea.

Mrs. Dmietrievna threw her a quick glance, too quick for Madeleine to read it, before setting down her own cup on the edge of the saucer. "You're welcome to call me Mami, Ms. Kasner" the old woman replied, folding her wrinkled hands neatly upon her lap. She let her wise gaze sweep over the 16-year old teenager before returning to the topic at hand. "Ro sent you here to complete a summer assignment?"

Madeleine stared blankly at her for a few seconds before realizing in major surprise that she'd just referred to the Principal. "You both seem to be on familiar terms" she smiled again, cradling her shock carefully. To think that obese Babushka knew the founder of a school for crazy students intimately enough to be on a nickname basis – how strangely fitting.

"Well" 'Mami' took in a nostalgic sigh before slightly leaning back against the sofa, her eyes closing in what seemed to be serenity. "To be stuck with someone since primary school gets you into their 'close friends' list soon enough."

Madeleine merely allowed a small 'o' to flit on her face before smiling again and nodding agreeably. Childhood friends. She wanted to laugh – but couldn't afford the luxury to.

"But I still think it's abnormal he would send a prized student like you into a mansion for teenage lunatics."

She had to keep herself from guffawing at the blunt statement. Looking for comeback, she politely quipped "We Goethalites believe that no one is completely lost-"

Mami shot her a decidedly pointed glare before interrupting in a low Russian accent "You think my children are 'lost'?"

( _Yes. Lost in the way of society)._ The words were on the tip of her tongue but she merely shook her head, letting the vivacity of her smile dim a little to show her politely offended worry. "No, Mrs. Dmietrievna-"

"Mami."

 _(STOP INTERRUPTING ME, HAG.)_ "-Mami" she nodded, her voice slightly catching in her throat at the interruption. With her fingers curling around the handle of the dainty cup, she continued in a slightly peeved voice "I stand on neutral, non-judgemental ground and am here to observe and interact with the students in an unbiased way. We believe in a human being's morals and contr-"

"Why" (GOD, SHE WAS GOING TO STAB THIS WOMAN TO DEATH!) "do you keep speaking about 'we' when you're talking from your point of view?" Mami continued without a pause "Do you really believe that all the students and faculty in your school see my children as 'normal' and 'equal' to them?"

The words of her acquaintances came flashing to her mind like a bright torch beam. It was when she'd informed them that she was assigned to 'Mami's School for the Socially Troubled':

" _Sheesh, Maddy, I feel sorry for you girl! I'd rather go to a poor government school – but I'm stepping nowhere near those lunatics!"_

" _Oh dear, take a pepper spray with you! Who knows what those crazy freaks may do!"_

" _He he, enjoy their spider soup – and maybe we'll get to see you in a new hairstyle with all your blond locks shaved off!"_

" _Seriously, what is Principal Dvachevskaya thinking? You can DIE in there!"_

" _Those people should just go to jail. Creepy weirdoes should stay away from human society."_

 _(Ha ha.)_ "Our school encourages equality and indiscrimination amongst everyone" she stated sagely, matching her gaze evenly with Mami's unblinking stare. "Our school respects talent and a moral persona and strives to-"

CRASH!

THWACK!

RIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!

"YE BURNT SON'F A BITCH!"

"CUNT-LICKING DIRTY LESBIAN!"

As the severely harsh words resonated violently through the air, Madeleine's attention was drawn to the ruckus created outside the warm drawing room – and so was Mrs. Dmietrievna's. The old lady, a steely light shining in her dark azure eyes, swiftly left her seat and walked to the closed door, opening it noiselessly in a single motion. "Aria, Robin" her voice was only a pitch higher – but something in those cold words made the blonde's skin prickle. At the single utterance of their names, the sounds of the scuffle had immediately diminished and Madeleine wondered if it would be impolite to have a look at the seemingly troublesome students who were well out of her view in the corridor. The old Dmietrievna, with half of her body standing out the door, began in a moderate tone "This is well past curfew and both of you know it well. On top of that, it is very disappointing for you to create a ruckus like this when the others are trying to sleep."

Madeleine stood up from her seat and momentarily waited for Mrs. Dmietrievna to motion her back to her chair – but even after a while, when that motion never came (or maybe the old matriarch did not notice), she quietly made her way to the door to glance a peek at the two teenagers. _(I wonder if they have a distorted appearance)_ As the wooden frame edged out of view, she finally stood face to face with Aria and Robin, who were studying the floor as Mami quietly spoke to them – it was supposed to be a lecture but it sounded more like a religious discourse. The words floated sporadically through Madeleine's ear but her focus was transfixed to the two teenagers in front of her.

 _They were . . . . ._

Aria looked like a human carrot, her hair a very short and unkempt result of bright orange dye, the rough locks flaring up in all directions and a matching hoodie very loose on her lanky frame. She wouldn't be very eye-catching if it wasn't for the assortment of colourful bracelets that decorated her wrists (bracelets which were commonly seen amongst primary school girls) and the long slick of hair that ominously covered her right eye. ( _There is a horrible background behind that eye – or the girl is an emo)_ – in the case of the carrot-girl-exuding-a-mysterious-aura, both reasons seemed to be equally likely.

And then, the visible left eye sweeped over her in its enlarged lilac glory.

"Mami" the speaker wasn't her – it was the gorgeously built tall male with the volcanic gaze next to her. "You never told us you had a granddaughter." Madeleine took in the sight of the lightly suntanned teenager, from the chocolate-coloured spikes to the athletically built torso emphasized by his crimson tank top. _(The people here seem to have a similar sense of colour coordination . . . .)_ It was then, that the blaringly scarlet eyes clashed explosively with her oceanic cerulean and his lips pulled up into an almost cruel smirk. "And unlike you, she's quite a looker."

Madeleine was able to hold her jaw from hinging broken – Aria made no reaction other than an exasperated eye roll. The blonde expected Mami to burst out in emotion but all the old woman did was smile tauntingly at the haughty male and retort "You're not a Greek God yourself, Robin." _(He's kinda hot though)._ "Didn't you get rejected today?" The scene had the blonde's attention so rapt that she failed to notice the colourful pieces of broken mosaic that littered the floor.

Madeleine discreetly pinched her thigh to stop a chuckle from erupting out of her – but Aria seemed to have no intention to do so and she released lilting laughter, clutching her bony sides with long, thin fingers, making no attempt to hold back her sprung and quivering jaw. "Ye're right, Mami" an immediately thick, almost undecipherable sound was emitted by her "De meff got rejected bitterly today, y'know?"

 _(Ah, a Liverpudlian accent)._ Struggling to keep her face expressionless, Madeleine amusedly watched as Robin snapped his neck almost inhumanely to his right, his once handsome features now terribly contorted into seething anger. "Laughing a lot, aren't you?!" His teeth clenched tightly against each other and his fists shook heavily – Madeleine's gaze nervously flitted towards Mami, silently urging the elder to do something before he swung at the lanky girl violently. "You better watch out, Rivers" he seethed, edging threateningly towards her and seemingly trying to hold back from clawing violently into her. "I'm gonna make you cry soon, wench – cry so hard you'll forget what happiness even feels like." The faux-furred cinereous hoodie over his body failed to hide his tensed, scathing muscles.

But Aria, with her scrawny figure and ever-enlarged frog eyes, edged towards him as well, her face taut and body curled to spring into action. "Like ta see ye try'a, Sa'yer" she hissed, her teeth bared like poisonous fangs. "Gonna smash yer head in ta floor, uh huh?" Her voice hummed maliciously, and she looked ever ready to take the larger and stronger male head on. Their body language was terrifying, ready to spring into a violent fight – and she knew neither of them would back down first.

Suddenly, Aria and Robin were pushed away from each other by an invisible force, her black canvas and his white sneakers skidding against the marble floor till they stopped 20 metres away from each other. Madeleine could not keep her eyes from widening at the open display of power – she would be deemed abnormal to not be shocked about what'd just happened. "How . . . . " she did not need to put much fake emotion in her voice – this was something which had been bothering her ever since she got to this school ". . . . how did that . . . . . .?"

"Ye have some interestin' theories bout dis, eh?" she turned to Aria, whose mauve eye was hard steel upon Robin but her voice had been fully directed to her. Their eyes met for a few brief seconds. _(How did she . . . .)_ "I can't answer dat question, sorry." The orange-head nodded calmly at her, almost expecting her to understand everything. Madeleine could not control her thoughts, her train of reverie moving all over the place at a fast pace, her demeanour starting to fade.

"Maybe you should pay attention to your own ass, Rivers." The brunet looked furious to have been ignored, his eyes flaming like lava in a boiling volcano. He snapped an authoritative finger towards the skinny girl and seethed "Next time you try to act like a smart bitch, I'll claw your other eye out, fry it and feed it to the wolves in the woods."

The one-eyed girl shoved her middle finger up at him and bellowed "Not 'fore I tear yer balls off, b'astard! Savvy?" The duo were pushed back further – now at a distance of 50 metres. An extremely irate and demonic aura had surrounded Mami and even the two supposed blockheads seemed to have noticed, feelings of nervousness flitting through their faces.

"Both of you. After classes tomorrow. DETENTION."The booming words echoed ominously through the quiet corridors, carrying with them a powerful tone of power. Madeleine's admiration for the elderly Russian had just increased a little. The power she carried without raising her voice like a military jet or lifting a finger, it was truly commendable.

"Yeah, I know" the teens echoed simultaneously in bored voices, before snapping towards each other and clenching teeth. "You/Ye don't copy me!" they echoed again, baring their fists threateningly. However, Mami cleared her throat and holed a glare into their souls.

"Now off to bed, it's way past curfew." Gifting each other with a final murderous glower, the young students turned around on their feet and headed to different directions of the corridor. "Robin, just so you know, the wolves are rather frisky today." The brunet did not stop but his head seemed to perk up a bit at Mami's words. "So I don't think it's a very good night for your midnight walks." He stopped for a few seconds but resumed walking.

"None of your business, granny" he waved a hand dismissively. "Besides, those mutts know they'll be only stomped upon if they even dare to inch close." That voice . . . . . it oozed sexy confidence from every pore. Aria let out a short laugh but did not take the subject any further – and without Robin retorting, both figures had disappeared in the darkness of the corridor, leaving Madeleine alone with the Director of her new school.

"They are certainly . . . . ." the blonde testily searched for a suitable word ". . . . interesting." Her tone sounded less convincing than usual and her amazement feigned but she didn't care at this point anymore. Things had exhausted her, more than she could've ever imagined and she felt her eyelids drooping, pulled down heavily by a seductress called sleep. Staying awake was slowly becoming a struggle and leading to muddling confusion of a hundred unanswered and unfeasible questions.

"You can sleep in the guest room tonight, Miss Kasner" Mami called out in the nick of time, catching her just before she was about to nod off. "I'll introduce you to the dormitories tomorrow – besides, it's gotten very late now." Madeleine nodded in agreement, walking into the guest room to get her luggage but internally dreading the idea to pull the heavy suitcases behind her. _(Why did I have to pack so many fucking bags? Right, I'm a girl.)_ However, she almost fell down in fright, her tiredness momentarily disappearing, when her branded luggage trailed out of the room in an orderly fashion, lined up straight. "Just follow me." Mami had reached the turning of the corridor, in the same direction Aria had travelled moments ago.

Jogging before she was walking beside the elderly Russian, Madeleine fell in silence a few steps behind her, keeping a distance out of respect. She dug her trimmed nails into her soft palms, biting her tongue to keep questions from pouring out like a river breaking an old embankment. Mami looked least bothered to explain everything that had happened till now and it was eating into her more – she DESERVED an explanation. Aria Rivers . . . . . . that mysterious girl had knocked into her thoughts then.

 _(Mass manipulation? Anti-attraction force? Alien technology? . . . . . . How did that exactly happen?!)_

They had been the questions she'd whispered to her brain And Aria had immediately piped in:

" _Ye have some interestin' theories bout dis, eh?"_

Then there was the moment when both hot-headed teens were pushed away by some unseen entity – a STRONG unseen entity.

Her eyes flickered to the back of Mami's head as they continued walking through the winding corridor. Only a handful of small dome lights, a faded orange, lit the way, bright enough to ward off silhouettes of objects but not light enough to throw definition to them or to showcase the pictures that lined the walls. "Mami" _(Screw my cool self – I DESERVE AN EXPLANATION!)_ "don't you have anything you'd like to tell me about?" Despite the burning inner turmoil her mind was in, her voice was as professional and smooth as ever.

"I'm ever-willing to answer questions, Ms. Kasner" Mami said, suddenly stopping in her tracks and turning to regard the blonde teenager with calm azure orbs. "However, I don't have time for mindless explanations." _(What? Does that mean you'll answer my questions OR NOT?)_ Before she could say anything though, the old matriarch turned around once more and began fiddling with the lock of a room's door – which Madeleine had just noticed they had stopped before. _(I guess this means 'sort everything tomorrow.')_ A lock was heard unbuckling and the wooden door swung inside, a rather light smell of musk invading her nostrils. Mami remained rooted to her spot outside the threshold, and Madeleine did the same, watching unsurprisingly as the lights to the room switched on themselves, bathing the area in a bright glow.

 _(. . . . . Not as bad as I thought)._

It was a rather simply furnished room but held an appealing gaze, the walls painted a warm tangerine with attractive mosaic wallpaper covering their lower bottom. There was a comfortable bed with a few covers, a study desk, a bedside table equipped with a reading light, a medium-sized closet and another door which probably led to the bathroom. There were some other items but Madeleine was too tired to take them into account – it had been an exhausting day, most of all for her mind.

"Get some rest tonight, Ms. Kasner" Mami nodded wisely, turning around to give the new student some privacy – all the luggage filing neatly into the room. "You can come to me tomorrow if you have to 'talk' about anything – I'll be sure to make some time." She nodded, her mind slowly slipping into a fuzzy haze of sleep. "Good night."

"Good night, Mami" Madeleine muttered, her words not very lucid. As the old woman filed away, the blonde entered the room and contemplating on brushing her teeth and changing into her pyjamas, let her lazy side win for today. She took of her shoes, opened her blazer and unfolding the covers, let their heavy warmth sink her into deep sleep.

That night, she strangely dreamt of colours – of dark azure, lovely lilac and glaring crimson.

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The cellar was dark.

Her old boots made large thuds on the marble stairs, her wrinkled fingers slowly trailing over the teak railing which was an antique Victorian design. Medieval fire-lit lamps paved the dark floor with light and as Olga Dmietrievna crossed the final step, she stood face to face with a heavyset iron door, locked heavily from the outside with intricate bolts and locks. Mami stood silent in front of the structure, calm and patient as the bolts opened rapidly and the door swung in, baring the large, dark room it'd previously kept hidden from view. A large window, outside which the pale moon hid covertly behind pallid clouds, lay straight across the room – in front of which, there sat a figure, unbothered by the random sparks of electricity crackling near her. Mami made her way towards the figure, making no reaction as a steel bowl, filled with potato crackers, floated past her and landed on a square table near her.

"Who is the new student?" No emotions, no accent, no pitch. Just a soft voice whispering quietly with a flat tone, trying to merge into the eerie silence of the night. Mami took a seat on a chair near the figure, the door to the room closing quiet and bolts and locks sliding into their designated holes.

"A child with a bad penchant for lying" Mami replied uninterestedly, joining the young girl in admiring the joyless night sky. A crackle echoed loudly through the room as teeth chomped down on potato crackers. "Are you going to visit them tomorrow?" The chomping stopped and silence reigned again. Mami turned to face the figure. "It will have been three years."

The moon finally edged out of its curtains, flooding the room with wane light, bathing the girl sitting directly below it. As the darkness faded, the silhouette cleared to reveal a small, bony girl, her anorexic figure covered with a black strait jacket that drowned her in its looseness, falling to her knees and riding over her hands. An outfit more fitting for appearance than for necessity, it was a stark contrast against the paper white of her skin, a pigment of albino. The light soon showcased her head which was covered by a large crimson helmet fitted with polarized lenses, keeping her face in clandestine secrecy from the eyes of the public. A small, bony hand disappeared underneath a mouth mask and the crunching sound reverberated again through the empty room. "Kurumi knows it's not any of Mami's business" she stated absolutely.

"You're a very difficult child at times" Mami was not harsh with her words; she spat everything in a matter-of-fact tone. "However, I am definite that one day you'll come out of your shell – even if I'm not the person who can make you do that." She got up from her chair, absently noting a floating bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk that seemed to appear from some completely dark corner, wrapped in silver foil. "I promised Kayano to take care of you until you can find that someone though." The large bar of chocolate disappeared under the helmet, being consumed soon by the gluttonous girl. Mami huffed lightly before making her way to the door, not liking the feeling of being ignored in the slightest. "You owe Mihai an apology."

"The world is cruel" was the tart reply. Olga Dmietrievna shook her head lightly before magnificently trailing out of the room, the door locking behind her.

The girl, Kurumi, stared at the moon solemnly, savouring the sweet taste of sugar, milk and cocoa in her mouth. She had gained 375 calories which included 80 grams of carbohydrates, 35 grams of protein and 72 grams of fat. Oh well, her body could still take 892,364 calories of sweet food before she was within the alertness sphere of diabetes. She wouldn't die anytime soon.

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The brush swirled expertly on the thick paper, sliding as gracefully as a seasoned ice skater moved on sheets of ice. Thin strokes of viridian and turquoise fused effortlessly into each other to create a pretty shade of cyan which would make the perfect shade for his tropical rainforests. Once the painting was done, the artist quickly fetched an expensive silver pen from his drawer and signed the identity of himself and his painting on the bottom left corner.

 _Summer Woods_

 _~ by Garrick Alister Ashworth._

He stared at the words, an unsatisfactory frown permeating his attractive Caucasian features. He flipped the eraser on and scribbled off two letters from his name.

 _~ by Garri Alister Ashworth_

He smiled. Such moments of peace and solitary time were becoming rarer with the passage of time.

And the moment was gone when loud footsteps stopped just outside of his dorm room – the door was rather roughly pushed in as the roommate entered.

"I will SKIN THAT WITCH ALIVE someday!" Robin growled (or maybe that was his usual way of talking) before throwing his body on the bed, white sneakers on, and ruffling the covers into a tangled mess. Shifting his scarlet gaze to his mentally sighing roommate, he mumbled "Well, maybe if I had an assistant like she does, I'd be a little feared as well." That stare . . . . Robin used it on him all the time. The accusatory 'you're-my-friend-so-help-me-pawn-that-half-blind-girl' stare.

Garrick began to put away his art kit and painting, knowing full well that he would not be able to concentrate on it anymore. "Mate" his husky tone was a blatant contrast to the energetic voice his roommate was blessed with "I told yer that I like ta stay outta all this bloody fightin' and bollocks. Besides" he chained his kit close and put away his painting to dry "Why don't yer both talk an' make up, like bruvs?"

Robin threw back his head and let out a harsh laugh, causing his light-haired companion to gaze introspectively at him with his silver gaze. "Yeah, ha ha, right, right" the brunet gave him an incredibly contemptuous look, his fingers raking through his carefully gelled spikes. "Me and Rivers talking. Hell yeah, Garri, what an amazing solution that is!" His roommate continued staring at him, unaffected by all the hammy sarcasm. "Of course, of course, we'll sit down and have a nice, heartfelt chat over tea and scones and become best friends!"

Garrick remained silent, continuing to stare through his steel gaze. Robin angrily sighed and grumbled "Look, dude, I know it, you know it, EVERYONE here knows that I and Rivers will NEVER, EVER – like NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER turn into friends. Not acquaintances, not colleagues, not associates – we will hate each other's pitiful selves to the end of time itself." He scratched his nape, boring his gaze into his roommate's face with his volcanic eyes. "Get that into your delusional idealist brain already."

"Wateva, mate" he sighed, changing into comfortable clothes for bed. "It's yer life and I'm sorry if I poked my nose in somethin' that I shouldn't have poked my bloody nose in." The clock would strike midnight in over half an hour. Robin watched as his roommate began dressing up for a night out, slinking out of his comfort clothes and pulling on a long T-shirt that matched the sky blue of his hair. Donning ripped white jeans that flaunted the lean muscles of his legs and trim-fitted woollen dark overcoat for warmth in the unusual chill. As he was wrapping a monochrome-checked scarf around his neck, he heard Robin call out:

"Do you have duty tonight?" A shred of vulnerability was felt within that ever-so confident tone – a vulnerability only Garrick knew about. He turned around, finding Robin staring at him evenly with his fiery gaze – behind that mask of confidence, lingered a suppressed emotion. Barely traceable but visible to his sharp gaze.

"It's a pain n' the arse but can't git sacked from ma' job, can I?" He sat down on the edge of his bed and bent forward, sinking his feet into warm leather boots and tying them up with practiced efficiency of fingers. Robin switched over to lay on his back, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Heya, mate" Garrick was gazing sympathetically at him "Lookie here, if yer buggered off 'bout it, I can ask-"

"Piss off already" the brunet growled, facing the wall and clamping his headphones over both ears. His last words were in a low mumble but the sapphire-haired teenager heard them very well. "I don't need anyone's pity or help . . . . ."

Garrick sighed, fully aware of the fact that he couldn't help his roommate anymore than that – not at the current point of time. Realizing that it would soon be midnight, he wrapped his flannel heirloom around his waist and taking of the normal spectacles he donned at school, flipped on some of his Versace glasses – his vision was fuzzy for a few seconds before returning to normal. He blinked twice.

Robin lay crumpled on his bed on the other side of the room, his knees drawn up to his chest and his knuckles an anaemic white. He had grasped the warm bed sheet tightly with his fingers, his eyes shut close almost painfully against each other. Garrick could not help but feel his heart tug at the feral position of his roommate – but there was nothing he could really do. He slowly made way to the brunet and reached out a tentative hand to pet him . . . .

But then, flashes of a past incident stirred within his head and he moved to the door, muttering a "Cheerio, Robin" in the softest of tones, definite his roommate did not hear his murmur amidst the blasting rock music in his ears.

He noticed the door close after his roommate had walked out, leaving only a dim burner lamp on to illuminate the large room. Mick Jagger's voice hounded his ears painfully, almost threatening to rupture the soft skin of his inner drums but even then . . . . . . .

' _~kill. maim. torture.~'_

' _~Kill. Maim. Torture.~'_

' _~KILL. MAIM. TORTURE.~'_

' _~KILL! MAIM! TORTURE!~'_

' _~Kill . . . . . .'_

' _Your friends.'_

' _~Maim . . . . .'_

' _Your family.'_

' _~Torture . . . . .'_

' _Your loved ones.'_

' _KILLMAIMTORTURE. KILLMAIMTORTURE. KILLMAIMTORTURE. KILLMAIMTORTURE.'_

Robin pressed his hands over his ears, his teeth clenching tightly against each other, the music pounding through the neurons of his head and echoing to the back of his anterior lobe. ". . . So you're back . . . . . ." the clenched grin on his face was defiant and challenging, ready to fight the emotional battle.

' _KILL.'_

' _MAIM.'_

' _TORTURE.'_

' _Ha ha . . . . . . HA HA HA!'_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The steel doorknob was cool against his heated palm, Garrick noted, as he silently stood outside the closed door to his shared room with Robin Sawyer. He did not know anything in detail, due to the tight lips of the school staff, but from his observance, he'd figured out some minor information regarding his roommate. Like how he avoided loneliness, treating it akin to a plague – because loneliness was not alone. It brought with it friends – terrible friends.

He could hear no sounds coming from inside but he'd left a light on, deciding it was the least he could do before going off to attend to his duties for the night. Standing there for too long would be stupid and time was running out – only a few more minutes till it struck midnight. He wanted to help Robin – but he could not ignore his own health either.

At last he pulled away from the door and made his way through the left corridor, towards the direction of Mami's main office where he had to report for duty.

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They were following her.

Every time she turned back, they'd be gone, having disappeared into supposed nooks and crannies of the twisted corridors. They thought they were swift, that they'd easily trail and attack her when she wasn't looking – however, the poor creatures were gravely mistaken. Oh boy, no boy would SHE let go of them easily. NO ONE messed with Aria Rivers – and got away without a sound beating.

Another flicker in the corner of her eye.

She drew back her fists, ready to spit venom in the face of her stalkers. What greeted her was an empty, dark corridor, one she'd been traversing since the past few minutes. She scowled at the cowardice of the creatures and stomped her way to her shared dorm room, humming a lithe song under her breath – a cute melody from her parents' wedding, as she'd heard on video many years ago.

The girls' dormitory had come into view, rows of identical pastel pink doors situated at long distances from each other. Walking for quite some time, she eased herself into Room No. 234 – the door was unlocked and the room was flooded with lights. Aria closed the door behind her as she entered, raising a nonchalant wave to greet her roommate and popped "Everythin' hunky-dory, Yor?"

Her sentence was answered to with a whine that emerged from somewhere below a barrier of blankets and covers. As Aria took off her shoes to tuck in for the night, a small, mousey girl slowly peeked out from behind the blanket barricade, goggling at her with emerald eyes that shone with an eerie light. A mop of dark peat hair sat atop the translucent skinned female's head, styled in a layered shortcut that seemed to have been messed up by pillows. With half her face still obscured beneath the thick covers, she squeaked "Ari, Ara, Aria, Aria where were you?"

If not for the hushed stillness of the night and Aria's rather sharp hearing, her unbearably quiet words would've been lost in the sea of voices.

"Jus' feedin' a knuckle sandwich to a certain nark~" she hummed, unfolding her covers and laying them on the bed.

"You mean, you men, you mun, you mean" the mousey girl finally let the blankets fall to her folded lap "Robin?" The lavender-eyed girl nodded, taking off her clothes to dress for bed. The brunette immediately looked away when her roommate's skinny body was bared and bashfully stated "Y-You still haven't forgiven his, his, him?"

"Dun think dat forgiveness is possible at dis point, Yor" she grumbled, pulling on a pair of loose pyjamas. His name always put her mood _horribly_ off. Aria's voice fell considerably lower as she growled "Dat duff has done me pretty much a lot of harm, y'know?"

The female referred to as 'Yor' remained quiet, turning her attention towards a small book on her lap – an edition of Enid Blyton's famous 'Noddy'. She flipped open the first page, which was filled with acknowledgements, colourful illustrations and the name of the owner scribbled rather untidily on the top: 'Yorra Ryu.' She hugged the book close to her chest – she'd almost lost it a few days ago to bullies. However, a surprising young man had helped her get it back.

Aria jumped into her bed and pulled the warm covers over herself. "Crikey, I almost forgot!" The exclamation made Yorra almost jump out of her skin as she questioningly turned to her roommate, eyes wide and blinking. "There's a newbie in school" the ginger said at an attempt of conversation, fiddling with the colourful array of bracelets on her wrists – Yorra knew the pink one symbolized her. "She a pretty lil' face an' seems all goody-goody, unlike ugly an' bitchy ol' me. " It was followed by a nonchalant laugh from her.

The brunette mumbled slowly "I-I think you're prity, petty, pity, pretty Aria – a-and, nice too . . . . . ."

She chuckled in scoff and shook her head, dyed tangerine locks splayed all over her white pillows. "Ye're a goody-goody too, Yor. Y'know?" She closed her eyes, facing the ceiling.

Yorra lay down as well, burying herself underneath the covers. However, when sleep seemed to be delaying its hold on her, she tentatively ventured "Ari-Aria?"

"Hmm~?" even a simple voice of acknowledgement from her was like the note of a song.

The Asian blushed as she asked in a tiny voice "C-Ca-Can-Can we invite her to lun, lunk, lunch, lunch with us tomorrow?"

Aria opened her left eye, slinking it towards the timid little girl whose emerald eyes still glowed eerily even in the dim light of the night lamp. "Maybe, if you like, I think?"

Yorra beamed a shy, wide smile, one that showcased the soft dimples on her rosy cheeks. ". . . . . Thanks."

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As the creaking sounds of unlocking bolts and locks permeated into his cellar, he cracked open an ashen eye which revolved around the dimly lit room. The sun was slowly ascending into the gradually lightening sky and thin trails of nimbus clouds dotted its vermillion expanse – he immediately sat up straight. Gazing into the blazing horizon had always been a favourite experience, something which made him smile. For in its sunrise and sunset, the sky looked the best – the sun just a right shade of the expressive red.

 _Red . . . . . . ._

"Good morning, Aran!" He shuffled a little underneath his fluffy pillows before pulling out a rather fancy yet worn-out notepad and quickly flipped through the pages.

 _The phrase 'Good Morning' must always be replied to with a happy 'Good Morning, (person's name)!' of your own. Nodding your head once in a subtle way, smiling genially and waving twice are recommended for best effect._

"Good morning, Cataleyaaaaaaa!" he did everything according to his notes – nodded his head, smiled and waved his hand.

The female in the doorway squealed and crossing her arms, sagely bobbed her head up and down, her short curls bouncing with each nod. "Good, good" she grinned "Your smile looks more real and less phony nowadays!" She showed both thumbs and exclaimed "If you keep it up, you might even look cheerful!"

"Is that so . . . . . . ." and with that, Aran was back to his empty self, soulless eyes faraway.

"Aran" Cataleya face-palmed – she was a tall and well-developed Brazilian female with sun-kissed skin, short brown locks, an angelic smile and kind-natured green eyes. She would've had a lot of admirers if not for her weird clothing – which consisted of a short, tight blouse, frilly mini skirt and thigh-length boots . . . . . and they were completed by fluffy cat ears on her head, an attached feline tale and large kitty paws on her hands. "For compliments" she chided her information "You must say 'Thank you, Cataleya! I'll try my best!" She then gazed at him with her shining eyes. "Now, now, try it once."

He took in a few breaths before smiling his widest smile and copied her statement. "Thank you, Cataleya! I'll try my bestttttttttt!" He made sure his smile stuck all the way between his pale cheeks.

"Good boy!" she cheered, happy to have made such rapid progress with a student at six a.m. in the morning. The Hispanic beauty gushed "Now go and get ready for breakfast!" And then, a dejected sigh crossed her usually peppy features. "Now I need to go and wake _her_ up . . . . ."

His eyes slightly narrowed at Cataleya's statement, the scattered trio of crimson dots in his left iris glowing for a few seconds before they returned to normal. The feline-dressed woman gently closed the door of his room before sighing loudly to herself and making way to the room straight across the lowest corridor of the building. Aran slipped out of bed, sleep having left his features, before making his way to the large full-length mirror in the room and doing a few basic stretches. Inwardly frowning at the tangled mess of locks moped over his head, he swiftly began combing through them, viridian curls getting stuck between the comb's narrow teeth before sliding through with some force. However, a single dreadlock hung between all the loose hair, an ode to a memory of a long time ago.

"Good morning, Kurumi!" Cataleya's vivacious greeting floated all the way to his room at the opposite end of the basement, followed by a loud 'CLANG!' that rung his ears – the albino must've shut her door in the Brazilian's face yet again. "Kurumi, how many times have I told you that you're not allowed to use your Essence without any reason?! If Mami hears of this . . . . .!"

He let her reproach filter through one ear to the other as he prepared to shower for the day.

The hot water rushed through all of his body, rejuvenating the lethargic muscles and seeping some energy into the pale skin. His viridian gaze roved over his torso, lingering over the inked art that decorated the expanse of his skin – he slowly ran a finger over the graphic writing. To think it'd been years since . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The sound of both doors in the basement banging open ricocheted through the empty corridor – both teens stood on the thresholds of their rooms, their sizes drastically different from each other. The Elfin female and the athletically developed male – they simultaneously turned to look at each other as soon as they were out of their rooms. Even with the large helmet on her head, she could clearly stare at the male who was right across the corridor. Aran stared back at her, wondering what the bitter feeling that slowly spread over his chest was.

His hands reached for his checklist but the little girl's soft words brought his action to a standstill.

"Kurumi knows your greeting will be of no use so please don't bother for your elaborate notepad" she quipped bluntly before preparing to sail out to the dining hall where food was being served – she felt like she could butcher an elephant and eat it. Her midnight snacks had not lasted long and she had to steal at list 37.813% of more food if she didn't want to starve after dinner. The black strait jacket fluttered after her as her bare feet floated a few centimetres from the ground, bypassed the stairs and went into the main building through the open doorway.

Aran, for some reason, was still filled with the bitter feeling. His fists unconsciously clenched as he pondered, _Kurumi Kirigaya. When I begin my crimson masterpiece, you'll be my very first stroke of red._ Then, he proceeded to the dining room as well.

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. . . . . She was lost.

Honestly, it was not her fault – it'd been very dark when she'd come to the Academy at night and Mami had been beside her, guiding her everywhere, so it was to be obvious that she would not remember her whereabouts. After having laboriously woken up at six a.m., taken a shower in the _(fucking)_ cold weather and worn really nice clothes, she had been wandering in the school corridor for the past twenty minutes WITH NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT. Honestly, was everyone really kept locked up in their rooms in straitjackets and with helmets clamped over their heads? Madeleine rolled her eyes. This school was NOT like that, she had become sure of that much after last night's chat with Olga Dmietrievna. After all-

Madeleine stopped short as she saw an eccentrically _(what the actual fuck)_ dressed figure float by – long, black straitjacket drowning the little girl in its looseness and a large helmet, fitted with polarized lenses and an intricate mouth-mask, sat snug over her entire head. What nearly made the German's heart leap out were the dangling bare feet of the girl suspended in free air, a few centimetres well off the ground. She was so stunned by the spectacle that she could only stare with a gaping mouth as the child silently passed by her, not throwing a glance in her direction, and went out of sight.

 _(Mami. MAMI. You old hag. I need you. NOW. FUCKING NOW. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU. Meet me. NOW. I NEED TO SEE YOU NOW. Where are you—WHERE ARE YOU? I'm confused—I don't-know—I don't—I can't—that girl—her feet—last night—they—)_

She was breathing hard. Madeleine closed her eyes, thumped her chest lightly twice, took three large, deep gulps and opened her eyes again. She clenched her fingers, turned around and determinedly strode in the route that strange figure had taken, having made up her mind to ask her for directions. _(Calm DOWN. You're a Goethalite – the PERFECT girl. You do not make mistakes, you do not lose your cool. You're a winner THROUGH and THROUGH)._

Calming down somewhat, Madeleine pressed on her way in the corridor, confident that she'd find someone else she could ask for directions. She had not been walking for long, when, in the pale early morning sunlight, she found a hunched figure squatting on the floor – a large beam made its way to her face. _(BINGO! I found a bitch!)_ "Excuse me" she ventured in the kindest, sweetest voice she could muster – which was a melody to everyone's ears. "Could you please-"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SO SO SO SORRY!" She stepped back in shock as the guy immediately sprung up on his lean legs and turned to her with a cute face and large rivers of tears running down his hazel eyes. "I-I-I-I-I-It was M-M-MY-MY FA-FAU-FAULT!" And with that exclamation, he ran away somewhere, the black overcoat he donned flapping behind him. He disappeared so fast that Madeleine could only stare with shock, her jaw still open and her hand still outstretched in a handshake.

 _(Lord, save me from flying teeny boppers and emotional cry-babies. Is there NOT one decent student here?)_

('This is a school for psychos, Demon Madeleine')

 _(. . . . I'm aware, Angel Madeleine)_

('I see another student coming, Demon Madeleine')

Immediately, her emerald gaze whipped to the right – and, VOILA! A STUDENT! _(Who will be another brain-fucknut)_ However, before she could approach him, his heterochromiac-inflicted eyes had flitted over to her – and immediately, she felt something squeeze her lungs.

 _(Like yester-UGHHH!)_

Her palms gripped the front of her white shirt, her windpipe squeezing close painfully – she found it hard to breathe, for a while, and her mouth gaped open like a flapping fish. However, when footsteps echoed in the back of her conscience, her lungs lightened and her heart calmed down. She looked up, to see the rather tall male staring down at her, the expression on his face as placid as a polished marble floor. It was rather unnerving – especially when he just stared at her with his mismatched eyes, mouth a tight line, body motionless and breathes . . . . was he breathing?

"Good morning" she finally uttered the words in her throat, smiling sweetly up at him and half-expecting him to swoon at her sweetness – but to her other half-expectations, he remained as passive as ever. _(Creepo – TOTAL PSYCHO CREEPO)_ "I was wondering" she softly asked, with a hint of hesitance and pleading in her voice, staring at the scattered red dots in his left iris "Could you tell me where I could meet Olga Dmietrievna?"

As soon as her words had been processed, Aran immediately pulled out his trusty checklist _(what the fuck),_ flipped through the pages with dazzling speed _(What the fuck),_ read through a page with blinding speed _(WHAT THE FUCK)_ and bestowed upon her a soft smile. "I'm sorry but I am getting late. I am afraid I cannot help you."

His finger was still pushed between the pages he'd just read: _When you want to avoid someone when they ask you for help, option number 1 is:_

 _Smile kindly and stress the point that you are getting late for an appointment. Repeat the point at least five times before reverting to the 2_ _nd_ _option._

Madeleine tried to stop her emerald gaze from considerably narrowing. She was extremely harrowed and was NOT going to let this boy get out of her hand easily. "I'm new here" she widened her pretty eyes and successfully adopted the 'puppy look' – it came in handy with 'difficult' people. "I am lost and I cannot navigate through here at all. Please help me, kind sir." _(Bitch, just tell me the fucking way to Mami's office. I don't wanna hang out with creepos like you too – DUH. Also, would it KILL you not to look like you're planning to murder me?!)_

He gave her a measured gaze, during which the blonde occupied herself with admiring the way his hair had been styled – shoulder-length curly locks neatly combed, with the sides of his head slightly shaved like a mohawk. However, the real piece of work seemed to be a lone dreadlock which had just caught her eye amongst the mass of messy curls. _(Creepo must've a fucking lot of patience to pull off such an elaborate hairdo – or on the other hand, maybe not)._ Aran sighed, pulling Madeleine back to his face and he replied without any alterations to the smile on his face, "Okay, I shall help you. Please follow me."

 _(BINGO TO THE PUPPY LOOK! XP All men are suckers for it after all.)_

She smiled sweetly and thanked "It's very kind of you to-"

He bluntly ignored her and started walking away, towards the left of the corridor. She stared at the space where he'd been standing, swallowed her pride and unenthusiastically trailed after him.

 **~ Review Replies**

 **Madeleine: :) Thank you to everyone for their kind reviews.** _ **(. . . . Now piss off). ~**_

To Little Knight Mik:

 **You can make out coolness from an OC's name? OO**

 **Believe me, you did NOT slack off on Aria at all. She's very well-developed – I don't know what made you think you slacked off on her. -;**

To Mookiebear12:

 **=w= Punishment.**

 **Demise-? Seriously, Mookie, you should become a 'sexuality' teacher. XD You're the one who took me into the expansive world of 'sexuality' after all.**

 **XP It wouldn't do very well if I made your character say 'Good day, pleased to meet you' while they were actually trying to say 'Sup, bitches. How the fuck are you sluts'?**

To HIKAGE-SAMA:

 **=w= You wouldn't have given me the form even if I'd waited for a day. And don't worry, my writing has far improved from my ATA days! OwO *shivers* Oh, that horrible writing of mine . . . . . .**

To Eko-Sama:

 **+^+ IF I DON'T GET OLLIE SOON I'LL TAKE THOSE MIDDLE-FINGERS AND POKE THEM INTO YOUR BALLS. ^w^ Okay?**

To Aviator Capi:

 **QwQ *wipes away emotional tears* Don't worry, Aviator-san! No matter how many years it takes, I'll see this story to the end!**

To R.J. Niner:

 **Pocky ^w^ If you have time to review, then I'm sure you have time to update your stories right? +^+ WHY AREN"T YOU DOING THAT?!**

 **Don't worry, Pocky! Our youth will fade only when we reach the 60 cross mark! ;D Before that . . . . WE'RE YOUNG AND WILD!**

To Ghost132:

 **You're circling around the sphere that holds the explanation of the truth. But thanks, Ghost-san! QwQ I will work hard for my lovely readers like you!**

To enarmonios:

 **Don't worry, Ena-kun, I'll make sure to drag you along if I ever get the honour to visit a school like this! XD We'll have fun for sure!**

To imea619:

 **May your OC rest in peace. QwQ**

To AncientUnicorn:

 **Thank you for the permission – I will fully use it! *_* But if your OC is a masterpiece like Patrick . . . . . *Q* *Q* *Q* *Q***

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **And I can't let you down because of that, right? Because, I should be worth all the love and support you guys shower upon me. :D**

 **Also, for those two, I have many wonderful plans A . . . . .**

To Rose Rain 7:

 **Wow, Rose, you sure a good motivator! :D That's right, people, DON"T GIVE UP! Creativity lies in everyone's brain – I KNOW ALL OF YOU CAN DO IT!**

 **XD Go at it Rose, I'm sure you'll do a hell of a job on it.**

To BlackJack77:

 **Thank you for your concern, Jackie-kun, but I'm much better now! / Hey, hey, hey, you always make me blush! *_* But if you ever get that much KFC . . . . . . *Q* *Q* *Q*I WILL MAKE YOU A KING.**

To PotatoInUrFace:

 **XD Clarion, right, right. Clarion Diamond Ruby Platinum . . . . that would be a fitting name. X) Don't worry, Whilhelmsson is quite a mouthful. But thanks for your concern though I'm fit now. *does 100 pushups* Yup, it is an AWESOME story!**

 **~ If I didn't get your characters right, please feel free to tell me! Criticism helps! ~**


	4. Ep2 - a DiFfErEnT sChOoL oF fIsH

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **EXAMS SUCK.**

 **Alright, guys, I will be blunt about this. It's my fault as I should've warned all of you from the very beginning of the prologue but better late than never, right?**

 **Every OC is in danger of getting killed, raped, mutilated, tortured, abused, becoming a villain – yes, even my OCs. EVERY. OC. IS. IN. THE. DANGER. ZONE. But I promise, before we get to that, THERE'LL BE SOME MAJORLY FUN TIMES! :D**

 **P.S: Also, I want you guys to check out the updated OC List. PLEASE. EVERYONE. Check it out – it's VERY important.**

 **For this episode, here're Madeleine's likes:**

 **Likes: Shopping, chocolates and everything sweet, singing, watching movies, writing, thinking, reading books, socializing, stupid games, social activities, taking charge, singing (in the shower), playing the piano, public speaking, watching people worship her, vacations, reading fashion and gossip magazines, cars, every shade of blue, cuddling with a blanket in cold weather, fruits.**

 **Now, we shall move to the second chapter!**

 **~ Ep. 2 – a DiFfErEnT sChOoL oF fIsH ~**

Room No. 156 was one of the most peaceful rooms in Mami's School for the Socially Troubled dormitories. Even when other rooms were immersed in chaotic screams of cacophony, there had been no event in the history of its current occupants when Room No. 156 had elicited any noise that was above the accepted societal level.

. . . . . Except, most of the mornings.

He could feel a familiar warmth and softness press against him and he instinctively leaned into it, wrapping his short arms around the figure that held tightly onto him – however, when reality slowly seeped in and past memories flooded his mind, the raven-haired teenager's dual-coloured eyes snapped open and his jaw fell in a piercing scream.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

The clock had struck six thirty in the morning and all neighbouring souls who'd still been in the confines of sleep, were forced to snap open their droopy eyes at the cracked scream of a high-pitched teenager.

"Get away from me!" followed the scream and in the left side of the room, a red headphone smacked a lilac-haired male in the face, who had been innocently rubbing his eyes open, and he rolled off the bed and onto the cold floor. A smaller male, with dishevelled bangs spread across his forehead, panted rather loudly with a pained look on his scarlet face, his hands tightly gripping the covers around his frail body and his mismatched eyes accusing the male on the floor of molestation.

The male on the floor continued rubbing his eyes tiredly – before the severity of his unconscious actions hit him and his mauve eyes sprung open in their doe-like gaze. He began bowing repeatedly, his long, straight locks bobbing up and down with his head, before he finally straightened and shifted his gaze to the left, then the right, then towards the sapphire ceiling before his eyes snapped to the cold, marble floor – the doe-like orbs seemed to be doing a very good job of avoiding the shorter male's gaze.

'Sorry, Q.' His body language spoke.

Q threw him an intimidating glower and snapped "Next time, I'm gonna throw something heavier than my headphones." He jumped out of the covers, shivering slightly in the cold morning air due to his outfit of a thin T-shirt and shorts. As he picked up his headphones off the cold, tiled floor, he clenched his teeth at his nervous roommate. "And you can be sure you'll slip into something MORE comfortable than sleep, Haejin." He viciously added "A COMA."

The taller roommate's mauve eyes widened even more at the threats and he meekly bowed his head, giving way as Q gifted him an extremely dirty look before walking into their shared bathroom for a morning shower. As the door closed with a loud thud, his gaze flickered towards his right hand – on the alabaster skin, throbbed a pale green vein, it's dendritic blood vessels lapping underneath skin like running rivulets.

'Once, twice, thrice.' He frowned, an expression of silent sorrow overcoming his attractive features, his eyes snapping to the closed door of their shared bathroom. 'Q . . . . I wonder, are you crying again'?

 _Flashback: 5 months ago_

" _Yvonne has graduated, Haejin." It was a chilly night, bright lights, colourful streamers and clusters of inflated and deflated balloons lining the corridor walls – remnants of Christmas and preparations for the New Year. Curfew time had ended an hour ago and the halls were dark and silent, only the scurrying of a lone rat preparing for hibernation and whispers of chatter (and some screaming, crying and maniacal laughing) floating out of the closed doors. The 16-year old hugged his warm parka closer to his lean form, his pale lips closing around wisps of cold breath as he followed the hobbling Mami to his new room at the Academy._

 _Yvonne had left a few gifts and a card for him on his room's desk . . . . it was really sweet of the 13-year old. Haejin smiled at the fond memories that constituted his reverie with the young Russian lad – he was truly happy that his little friend had gotten over his pyromania. The Asian patted the card that was safely tucked in the inner pocket of his parka and smiled brightly. 'I wish you and your parents are happy together, Yvonne . . . . . .'_

 _He did not notice Mami regarding him from the corner of her eye. "Somebody's in a bright mood" she tastefully remarked and smiled tightly at him, causing Haejin to slightly blush, show his bunny teeth and rub the back of his neck bashfully. "Yvonne left many gifts for you?" she husked in her faint accent and the lilac-haired male nodded enthusiastically before placing his hands inside his coat pocket and shaking out the card the boy had left him. Mami stopped walking for a few seconds before taking the card in her hands – the lights in the corridor turned on immediately. Both figures inspected the card – the old woman trailed her wrinkled fingers over the archaically burnt page edges, taking in the smell of coffee paint and silently reading the messages the younger boy had left for the older student._

" _Very sweet." The small smile on her wise face had elevated slightly before she handed the card back to its recipient and turned around. "Let's continue since we don't want to be too late now." She added as a musing afterthought: "Because your new roommate is not as sweet as Yvonne was."_

 _Haejin's mauve eyes widened fearfully. Skipping ahead of the calmly moving Mami, he turned to face her and questioningly raised an index finger, pointed in the direction of the male dormitories and lifted both hands, arms folded at the elbow, fingers flexed straight in the air. Understanding his query, the school matriarch announced "You'll see soon enough. But I can say that" he waited expectantly for her next words, a heavy feeling of anticipation settling in his heart "he needs you as much as you need him."_

 _He eye-goggled her exasperatedly and she spoke nothing else. Overtaking him, she took a swift right and before he'd realised, her white knuckles were in the air and knocking on the door of Room No.156. He nervously rubbed his hands, folding them behind his back and stared hard at the door – before he felt familiar heat course through his right hand. Shock and worry flooded through him as he stole a discreet look underneath the black glove – thin lines of jade had tainted his pallid skin. He snapped his gaze to the wooden door, wondering what kind of a broken soul lived behind it._

 _And then, the door slowly creaked open, much to Mami's nonchalance and Haejin's nervousness._

" _So you slowpokes are finally here" called out a snarky childlike voice – much like the tone Yvonne used when he was feeling under the weather after his lighter got confiscated. "About f-ing time." The Asian's jaw dropped open in a gasp at the hinted vulgarity and his head whipped towards Mami – she looked least bothered by the male's words._

" _And a good evening to you, Q" echoed her expression of greeting. Haejin bowed towards him before being rewarded with a glaring gaze from two eyes, coloured a light shade of glowering black._

 _He had never seen him in school before – or maybe he'd seen the boy and not significantly noted him because the crassly crimson headphones and the bright green locks were hard-to-miss (and a small part of his scampering brain was definite that it'd seen the figure around sometime). Despite the similarities in their voices, his new roommate was an ironic contrast to Yvonne – short and scrawny (compared to the rather tall and athletically built Russian) and blessed with blatant Asian features, much like his own. However, the expanse of his skin seemed to have been tainted with various tones of colours, from the chocolate brown of his left cheek to the map of atomic tangerine that covered a large expanse of his right hand and a pale yellow that stretched over his sharp collarbones. His eyes were barely visible underneath his forest-coloured bangs which were topped by a (rather babyish) Panda cap that snugly fit over his oval head. He could also make out nail polish painted on his sharp nails which were partially hidden in the crook of his elbows._

" _If you're done checking me out, creepy guy" Q hissed venomously, glaring at a startled Haejin from underneath his Panda hat (it felt quite funny to think about the words) "Get in already. I'm freezing in this b-ly cold weather." The lilac-haired male blinked in confusion and tilted his head, pondering the meaning of the contracted word. The shorter male growled impatiently "Are you deaf or what?! Get in or I'll leave you out here to congeal!"_

 _Haejin took a scared step back and gulping nervously, stared at Mami with pleading eyes. She returned his terrified gaze with her placid azure eyes before an intangible force pushed an internally tortured Asian inside the room and the door closed on its own. "Don't be mean to him, Q" Mami's fading voice called out from outside the room. "And good night, Haejin." The alluded Asian lunged at the closed door and snapped it open – only to be greeted by the cold night air and a silent, dark, EMPTY hallway._

 _He continued turning his face from left to right, desperately wishing Mami would materialize in front of him but a tired sigh from Q broke into his despondent state of mind. "Look idiot, I don't give an f if you wanna stay out in this damned cold – just shut the door and sleep on the floor outside." Haejin was on the end of his wits as he heard his new roommate stomp rather angrily away from him, his boots making loud thuds on contact with the marbled floor. "Freeze, die, I don't care. And – YOU STILL HAVEN'T SHUT THE DAMNED DOOR!"_

 _The wooden door was immediately shut after that._

 _Turning around, a strong rouge taint lapped over his pale cheeks as Q was in the process of changing into his night clothes and his lifted white shirt revealed a smooth, rather bony back which was entirely of a pale fawn tone. He turned around again and waited a few minutes, his head bowed as the sound of stripped clothing and shuffling material floated in and out of his ears. "You can turn around now, dumbass." Another shiver coursed through the taller male's body and he hesitantly turned around, watching a more simply-dressed Q in an oversized shirt and black tracks. He was watching him with a rather condescending gaze and Haejin felt himself shrink into his own self. The dark-eyed male then looked away erratically and walked to his own bed._

' _Mami . . . . just WHO have you lodged me with?!'_

 _His internal screams went unanswered._

 _The young male had taken out a book from underneath his fluffy pillows and was apparently engrossed inside the fantasy world filled with fictional characters and out-of-the-world situations. However, on closer inspection, Haejin noted that the book he was reading was none other than the uber tragic and dark. He was greatly peeved by the badly-behaving Asian but remembering that Yvonne had been similar on their first meeting and had just needed someone to confide in, the male internally swore that he'd make Q open up to him as well. After all, he knew the boy could not be so boorish without reason._

 _Taking off his heavy parka, he quietly approached the young boy and looked over his shoulder to see what he was reading. All he'd caught a glimpse was of a beautiful young woman eating flesh before Q's neck snapped left with unbelievable speed and he screeched "Why are you smiling like that?! STOP IT! I hate fake smiles!" Haejin retreated – he could not handle those burning, angry eyes. Q's expression glowered as he snapped his attention towards his book and spat "Go sleep on your own f-ing bed. Don't bother me, gay pervert!"_

 _He welled up with anger at the snarky insult. But before the tall Asian could yell at the small figure who'd disappeared under his covers-_

 _A faint throbbing disturbed him again on his right hand. He slowly let his gaze sweep over the compressed body of the tiny boy, who was going through pain, pain which nobody could ever understand in this world except for Q himself._

' _He needs someone.'_

 _And that was the day Haejin swore-_

'I will become Q's friend someday!' he tightened his fist and made a steadfast promise in his heart. However, the seriousness of the moment was lost with an ear-shattering scream that came from the bathroom.

"HAEJIN!" the high-pitched voice cracked "DID YOU EAT THE LOLLIPOP THAT WAS IN MY HOODIE'S POCKET?! You did, didn't you! You little piece of s! I will have you're a for this! What do you think of-"

'Well' he dejectedly walked to the bathroom, ready to apologize his head off. 'That day is not too far away . . . . right?'

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' _ **Carrot.'**_

She could hear it. Her voice – it was definitely HER voice.

' _ **Why are you**_ _ **ignoring me, Carrot?'**_

"I'm not ignoring ye" she mumbled, tossing in bed, sleep not fully flushed out of her system. Yet, in her deep conscience, she was fully awake, and aware, of the sad whispers.

' _ **It hurts, Carrot. It hurts so bad when you ignore me like this.'**_

"~La la lala la la lala" she gritted through the hum, smashing her pillow against both her ears. "~La la lalalalalala la la lalalalalalala~."

' _ **Why?'**_ where WAS she? _**'Why are you not looking at me?'**_ Was she close? _**'Look at me, Carrot.'**_ Aria tossed to her right. _**'Look at me.'**_

"~'Cause all of me. Loves all of ye~."

' _ **Look at me. PLEASE!'**_

"~Love yer curfs an' all yer ege's.~"

' _ **Carrot . . . . Carrot . . . .'**_

"Go. 'Way."

' _ **Carrot. CARROTCARROTCARROTCARROTCARROTCARROT-'**_

"~Love yer perfec' impefections~!'

' _ **CARRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!'**_

"GO DE FUCK 'WAY!" She bolted out of bed, sweat trailing down in thick streams down her pale skin, her chest heaving up and down with heavy breaths. Tangerine locks were plastered to her wet forehead and cheeks, her right eye now visible to peering eyes. Suddenly, her wandering gaze locked onto Yorra, who stared at her with wide eyes from the other side of the room, visibly shaking and the sound of her chattering teeth reverberated all through the shared dorm. The Caucasian immediately recoiled as she realized her Asian roommate's sight was fixed on her scarred right eye and with quick fingers, covered up her eye and turned away, her fists clenching and unclenching.

There was silence. For a long time, both girls were enveloped in a blanket of suffocating silence.

And then, a tiny voice, muted against the preceding bellow, called "Ari-ri-ri-Aria . . . . . yo, you, you, you . . . . a-a-a-are y-you okey, okey, okay?" Yorra proceeded tentatively, her small body still shivering and her jade eyes still frightened to death. There was silence again as Aria did not answer. The brunette, after a few moments, called out "I-I-I'm-I'm-I'm . . . . n-no-not-not much . . . b—b-but I . . . I, I, I-I . . . ." She nervously rubbed her left arm, fingers tightly gripping the short pieces of hair that were stuck to her paper white skin. And she pulled. _Ah!_ Minute locks of brown hair fluttered invisibly against the white bed sheets.

Aria gripped her own covers before mumbling "'Tis nothin', 'kay?" Silence reigned momentarily again before she hummed tiredly "A bad dream. Really bad – about bullying I went through during the beginning of middle school, y'know?" _Lies. Stupid, dirty, immoral lies._ She gave her roommate a weak, troubled smile – Yorra returned it with an unconvinced look of her own.

' _Aria, why are you lying to me? Don't you . . . . consider us friends? Please . . . . tell me the truth!'_

Somehow, the Caucasian kept her eyes from widening and her tongue from spewing "Mind yer own bez'nez!" – no, that would break the fragile Asian. She disliked using her 'Essence' for such trivialities but then, there was no choice . . . . . .

"Aria" the brunette called out hesitantly again, her voice so tiny she had to strain her ears to hear. "A-are-a-are-are you sur, sore, sure?" _'Please tell me. Maybe . . . . I can help you . . . .'_

' _Sorry, Yor. But . . . . no one can help me.'_ And then, Aria reverted to her Essence.

Yorra's dark pupils contracted for a few seconds as images flashed through her brain. Images of-

" _Stahp!" a pair of older girls pushed her, a young Aria, into the boot of a red car. They laughed amongst themselves, cruel amusement dancing in their eyes as the little orange-haired figure cried, thrashing her limbs, screaming "Please, NO! DUN! DUN DO IT! DUN!"_

 _As the boot snapped close with a metallic clank, darkness exploded on her(their) vision(s)._

Yorra rapidly blinked, her back crashing against the wall as she jumped in sudden panic. Aria slowly got out of bed, smoothly behaving in a casual way.

' _Oh Aria . . . . oh my . . . . poor you . . . . how terrible that must've been . . .!'_

The Caucasian allowed herself a small smile – her friend was bought. For the moment anyway.

"~Anyway" she shrugged, the button down shirt loosely swishing on her lanky frame as she moved about "Do ye wanna use de cleaning room?" The brunette perked up, her large eyes moving to the figure of her roommate. "Cause any time now, Nicu's gonna be 'ere so-"

She was interrupted mid-sentence as the door to Room No.234 slammed open and a high-pitched voice called out "Good morning, Ariri! Yorry!" A beat. "Morning! Morning!"

Aria sighed tiredly – so a new day had actually begun. "~Mornin', Nicu. Do me one and quieten down, will ye~?"

A timid voice called out "Gut, got, gut, good morning, Nicu!"

"We're so glad to see you both, aren't we?" A beat. "Yes, we are, we are!" And with that, the newcomer, a ridiculously short boy dressed in a ridiculous Victorian-styled azure frockcoat had latched himself to the lavender-eyed girl's back parasitically. "We missed you soooooo much!" A beat. "Yes, we did, we did!"

Her lungs almost stopped functioning. Roughly pushing the boy away, Aria growled "Oi, Nicu, told ye notta git sa' touchy!" The young boy just beamed at her, his amber eyes shining like the Jewels of Hecate – before latching himself to Yorra, who had just got out of bed and affectionately patted his head, a happy smile on her face.

"Ariri's being mean to us, isn't she?" A beat. "Yes, she is, she is, Yorry!" And then, he proceeded to hide behind the brunette's pastel blue nightgown from the tangerine-haired girl's death glare.

"M-May-Maybe you sho-sho-should-shouldn't hug her so har, herd, her, hard" she soothed, fixing an inky button on the boy's silver shirt and giving him a soft smile.

The boy blanked a placid look at her before smiling widely in obedience. "Yorry's right, isn't she?" A beat. "She is, she is!"

With a towel hung over her shoulder, Aria sighed "Tell me ha' he lissens ta ye such easily, will ye, Yor?" Then she proceeded to walk into the bathroom to freshen up for the day. The digital clock flashed 6:39 a.m. which meant that breakfast had already started.

The boy referred to as 'Nicu' immediately jumped on Yorra's bed and began swinging his feet, a bar of milk chocolate in his hands which he immediately begin chomping on. "Again last night somebody stole my chocolate!" A beat. "The chocolate was mine, it was mine." Sighing, he continued "It was ours, 'kay? Anyways, that is not the point!" A beat. "We'll castrate them, castrate them!"

Yorra, who was arranging her books for the day, gasped in horror at the violent statement. "N-N-Nic-Nic-Nicu!" she stuttered, turning to him with a frightened expression. "Dun, don, dunt, don't say that!" Then, her voice dropped even more. "It-it-it-it-it's mean . . . ."

Wildly shaking his head, he cried "You don't understand, Yorry!" A beat. "It was Cadbury, Cadbury!" A beat. "Our favourite, right?" Another beat. "YES! YES!" He made an ugly frown that looked out of place on his angelic face.

Yorra arranged her clothes for the day and sighed sadly – as much as she was fond of him, she would never get used to Nic-Mihai's violent words. But it was also very bad of the thief to steal chocolate from him even since the young boy was so fond of them. Running a hand down the cover of her storybook, she immediately thought about how she'd felt when bullies had stolen it from her. Poor Mihai . . . . . he must be feeling the same way . . . . .

"Nic-Nic-Nicu" she bent in front of the silver-haired boy, who had puffed out his cheeks in anger. "I wull, well, will, will buy a new can-can-candy for you today, okay?" Her lips pulled up in a smile. "So, se, sa, so ch-cheer up!"

With a grin spreading from one pale cheek to the other, the young boy jumped on the taller girl and hugged her hard, almost crushing her bones. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, so MUUUUUUUUUCCCHHHHHH!" A beat. "We love you, we love you!"

Yorra increased the air pressure in her body to form resilience against her hyper friend. "Nic-Nic-Nicu, it hurts . . . . ."

Aria stared at them through the mirror in the bathroom, her mouth filled with toothpaste. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she watched the duo with a smiling light dancing in her lone eye. They could be overwhelming at times – but they were still quite precious.

"I will take revenge though!" A beat. "Mutilate them! Mutilate them!"

"No, Nic, Nico, Nicu . . . ."

The urge was too strong the second time. _'These guys . . . .'_ the Caucasian internally sighed, rolling her eyes.

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"DE FUCK DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE A 'NORMAL GIRL' IN DIS SCHOOL?!" A large echo reverberated throughout the room as she slammed her palms down hard on the oak table, her nostrils flaring, her golden eyes wide and her fingers writhing uncontrollably, like the serpents of Medusa. However, once she felt a soothing pat on the top of her head, she considerably calmed down, her quivering shoulders slacking.

"Eris" a sharply contrasting voice to her gravelly accent, one like the hum of a nightingale, soothed her nerves. "Calm down." Dual-coloured eyes stared at her from a face very much like her own – however, on a different level of beauty. (Or that was what Eris told herself). Orbs of a gold (much like her own) and an amethyst shade silently rebuked her for her loose tongue and she felt herself flush a light scarlet in embarrassment. She stared at the oak table she'd earlier rather violently smashed earlier, her expression almost apologetic.

"So'ry, Nyx." Her tone seemed to have lost much of its gravel and gained guilt instead – but a smile from her older sister was all it took to lighten her mood again.

The room the girls inhabited had bright morning sunlight flooding in from the large open windows, along with a fresh breeze that accompanied the sunlight like a faithful friend. Unlit LED bulbs were hammered on the ceiling in neat rows and columns of cleanly arranged desks with fresh-smelling sheets of written paper covered the centre of the room. Two short cupboards painted steel gray occupied indiscreet corners in the room – however, a particularly strong breeze fluttered in through the window and spread the paper sheets all over the wooden floor. Eris bent down to pick them up but before her petite form could bend to the floor, a duo of bunny-like creatures had started arranging the paper sheets into orderly stacks. The fact that their aquatic bodies did not wet the paper was the most remarkable fact about this scene.

Eris' gaze fluttered towards her older sister, pixie-like features shadowed with worry. "Ye sure ye can afford to waste yer ene'gy?" A leather gloved hand fluttered to her older sister's olive face, pressing against the side of her right dimple. "Yer not feelin' weak?"

Nyx sighed and smiled at her little sister, ruffling her short locks into a slight mess. "You underestimate me, sweetie." Her dimples shone with her proud expression.

Eris grinned for a few seconds – before her pale lips arched in a frown, a bowed thin line. "Dis new girl . . . . . duz she know?" In the background, the bunnies had stopped stacking the papers and at a click of the heterochromiac female's fingers, dissipated into a pale light which was absorbed through her fingertips.

Nyx shook her head, the thick ringlets of her hair fluttering around like wine-coloured streamers. "No, she doesn't" she answered, taking a seat on the desk entitled 'President' and carefully selecting a pale blue file from the stack of sheets on her desk – she neatly folded the document and handed the first page to Eris, who took it with an inquisitive gaze. "She's a student from Goethals" there was lingering distaste on her tongue as she rolled the name of Berlin's most elite school. "She's apparently here on a 'summer assignment'."

The petite girl's eyebrows shot up at her sister. "In a freakin' asylum?!" she screeched, golden eyes widening in utmost disbelief – however, realizing the high gravel tone of her voice, her fingers flexed and she closed her eyes in a bid to control herself. Nyx eyed her worriedly but made no attempt of comfort – too much love spoiled the child. She could not keep babying her sister – someday, as much as she hated it, they would've to lead on separa-

 _No. Someday. Not soon – that day is very far away._

"Nyx" Eris sat on a chair in front of her sister "If ye keep'n chewin' yer lip like dat, the skin'll puncture."

This seemed to pop the girl out of her reverie and she offered a very thin smile – the most she could afford under the terse circumstances. Leaning against the plush chair, she closed her eyes and stated evenly "Listen, Eris, we don't want to give her any trouble. Mami said she'll only be here for a month and then, off to her private academy again." Her eyes opened as she regarded her silently raging sister. "Do NOT cause any trouble for her, sweetie." She added airily "Until . . . . . you know."

Eris smirked at the final words and plopped down on the desk titled 'Secretary.' "Fair 'nuff" she shrugged her shoulders before casually flipping through Madeleine Kasner's student files which provided basic background information on the month-exchange student.

Nyx, who was looking through some other documents, glanced over her sister's shoulder at the small photo of Madeleine in her Goethals uniform. "Quite a pretty face" she mumbled, eyes skimming over the charming smile, the large green eyes and the wavy golden tresses.

"Nothin' compared ta ya, Nyx" the younger sister flashed sharp teeth in a devilish grin. She laughed lightly at the compliment, the wine of her ringlets gleaming in the sunlight. "Mattehlyn Kaaznur . . . . 16 . . . . 5'5' . . . . . 122 lbs . . . . . 11th Grade . . . . . . . Advanced Class . . . . . blah blah blah." She carelessly plopped the file on the desk before neatly arranging it under Nyx's reprimanding stare. "A trophy studn't, huh? I wundeh wat Mam's thinkin' . . . . . gittin' in an 'tually sane gurl . . . ."

"I did ask her today morning" the Eurasian beauty murmured, working on signing some papers for the council. "She apparently thinks it's no harm bringing in Ms. Kasner if it's just for a month." Her pen shook slightly as she murmured in a low voice "But I don't know what will be the reactions of the other students about this . . . . ."

"Sa'yer's gunna haf a definite problem." Eris whirled around in her chair, her high-heeled boots suspended in the air. "An' Sharp . . . . ." her golden eyes narrowed as her voice trailed off.

"Gwen." Nyx froze as _her_ image entered in mind – merciless serpentine eyes flashed through her mind before she blinked the mental image away. "Gwen's been missing for a week." She returned to her documents, ink pen curving fluidly on the printed sheets. "Maybe she's gone for good this time." She tucked a stray strand behind her ear as she spoke – Eris did not miss the hard steel in her older sister's voice.

Outside, the wind suddenly blew harder, forcing some chestnut leaves to float and sit on the room's windowsill. "'Tis hard ta say for Sharp" Eris murmured, placing her head in her folded arms and watch her sister work. Her eyeballs glassed for a minute before she tightened her knuckles and gritted "Sure hope dat bi- _woman_ won't be returning again."

All Nyx do was nod to that statement. Eyeing the clock, she mumbled (in a bid to change the unpleasant subject) "Shouldn't the triplets be woken up by now? It's already 6:57 a.m. now."

Eris stretched her arms and replied "'Tis As's duty ta'day, did ya forgit?" Mid-yawn, she noticed her sister's frozen stance. "Wut? Wut happ'd?"

"And who will wake _him_ up?" she asked in a low voice, her bangs throwing shadows over her eyes.

Eris face-palmed and groaned. "I 'got yar boyfrien' has'is gardnin' rit'al in de mornin'."

"Guess it can't be helped." The chair softly creaked as it slid back on the wooden floor, Nyx standing up from her seat. Sighing, she smiled "Let's go and catch some breakfast for ourselves as well, shall we?"

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Her arms were folded on her lap, her back ramrod straight and her emerald orbs never straying away from Mami's severely taciturn face – Madeleine watched out of the corner of her eye as the _(rude)_ male from before eased out of the door, the expression on his face placidly creepy _(this dude will be in the news someday. And I bet he will have the title 'Murderer' flashing above his photo)._ When he was finally out of earshot, the blonde asked politely "Mami . . . . . I would like my confusion and fears to be rested." A beat later, she added "Everything that has happened till now . . . . I've spent a lot of time thinking through things."

 _(I slept like a pig last night. But I DID think about the fucking creepiness of this weird ass school during brushing, showering, changing clothes and walking in dense silence with Mr. Lake Placid)._

Mami took a firm sip of her tea and an alluring smell of jasmine wafted into the 16-year old's nostrils. "Ask the right questions" she stated "and I'll give the right answers."

Her green eyes narrowed by a sliver but nevertheless, she reached into the brown sling bag that had been ignorantly hanging down her shoulder all this while. She pulled out a few notes and shot off on a powerful start "Do you have paranormal abilities?"

 _(SHIT. I FUCKING SAID IT. I ACTUALLY SAID IT)._

Mami calmly took another sip of tea, looking least bothered about things. "We all" _(OH GOD, ANOTHER DAMNED LECTURE!)_ "are, in even the most minor of ways, supernaturally blessed, aren't we?" _(GUUHHHHHHHHHH . . . . .)_ A faint smile seemed to twitch on the curves of her pale lips. "But before you go into a state of madness and confusion . . . . Yes, I DO have paranormal abilities."

'Madeleine got up from her seat, reached across the table and smashed the scalding tea in Mrs. Dmietrievna's face. Then, she tore off her assignment copy and Roald Dvachevskaya's reference letter, grabbed her luggage and drove home in her car.'

She wished she could actually do that.

She just nodded mutely, eyes skimming through the list of questions, before her fingers were possessed by some unnatural spirit as they proceeded to tear off the page _(what am I doing),_ crumple it into a rough paper ball _(What am I doing)_ and expertly throw it into the waste basket. _(It was only 10 centimetres away . . . . .)_ And then, losing most composure, she placed her aching head in her uncontrolled hands and sighed heavily "Mrs. Dmitr-MAMI, please . . . . . just . . . . . just tell me what is happening . . . . . WHAT is going on here?" Her words flowed like an unbarred river, sprouting in all directions without any restricting constraints. "Last night, you were . . . . you just . . . . and that girl, Aria . . . . she . . . . and today morning, that floating girl . . . ."

Mami's twinkling eyes widened just a little. "Kurumi's out?" and then, in the softest of whispers "So she's actually going to visit them . . . ."

 _(I'MINACRISISHEREANDYOUJUSTIGNOREDMEANDTALKEDABOUTSOMEFUCKINGFLOATINGCHILD)_

"Mami!" she cried in a rather loud voice, before meekly following her ashamed outburst and staring at the aged woman through the shadows of her long fingers. "Please . . . . . just tell me. I can't . . . ." Her words faded into the remnants of the silent wind.

For a moment, there was a choked stillness in the atmosphere, a heavy lump building in her throat and rising through her food pipe, threatening to rise as bile. The old, majestic matriarch had her gaze fixed on the antique tapestry that adorned the walls of her room, the designs resembling cultural Greek or Roman. Madeleine stared at her clenched fists, pushing them deep into the flesh of her thighs, holding her breath unconsciously, unaware about her next actions. Finally, settling the decision in a moment of forced rationality, she gently pushed back her chair and sighed "Thank you for your-"

"We fight monsters" the matriarch announced, loud and clear – in a voice which left no room for doubts or questions. No room for a hearing mistake.

She wondered if she should drop her bag like the protagonists do in one of those classic movies after a bloodcurdling revelation – or let her lips curve into an amused chuckle at the disillusioned joke. But she was unable to register either one. Mami let her dark, dark gaze slowly rest on Madeleine's frozen face, searching, waiting, w _ondering._

 _Wondering._

"I see." She finally left her breath, sinking gracefully into the comfortable chair once more, wanting to explode but ignoring every emotion in her body and screaming at her concentration to FOCUS. ON. MAMI.

 _(Focus on Mami. Focus on Mami. Focus on Mami. Focus on Mami. Focus on Mami. FOCUS. ON. THE. HAG)_

"The children of this school are not normal, Ms. Kasner." _(YOU DON'T SAY?!)_ "However, before you think sarcastically of me" _(DONE AND OVER, HAG)_ "I meant they are a more . . . . ." She cocked her eyebrows a little in thought and it seemed minutely adorable _(The craziness of this place must be rubbing off on me)_. . . . . .

. . . . "advanced race of humans."

'BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!' Madeleine stood up and pointing a derogatory finger at Mami, laughed wholeheartedly. 'Advanced? ADVANCED?!' She hollered apishly. 'More like a cluster of backward and defective Neanderthals!'

'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ADVANCED! LOOK AT THE NERVE OF THIS UGLY OLD HAG! ADVANCED?! MY ASS!'

"Could you be more specific?" she had to instead settle for the obvious question, looking ever-attentive and believing. She had suspected that the lunatics here had some powers, that was obvious from yesterday, but . . . . .

 _(WHY?)_

 _(WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THOSE FUCKING POWERS?)_

 _(ARE THEY HUMAN?)_

 _(WHAT ARE THESE SHITTY 'MONSTERS'?)_

There were a hundred more questions but these four had taken the centre stage on her mind where they danced obsessively. Mami regarded her closely, those azure irises drilling deep into her when:

"Oh!" She suddenly got up from her chair, a mild look of horror overtaking her face before her features were calmly set into her mould of composure again. "I'm sorry, Ms. Kasner, but we'll have to continue our chat sometime else. I have very important business to attend to."

"But, Mami-" her protest came out rather weak since she knew it would've no use.

"Tomorrow at the same time, Ms. Kasner." It was more of an order than anything else – an order she would be glad to follow. And then, the matriarch strolled out of the room, leaving the blonde the lone figure in the large office.

Madeleine didn't fail to notice that her feet floated in the air as she drifted away.

She sat on the chair for a while, staring at the windy morning through the open windows, watching dead leaves flutter away. And then, something strange possessed her, an alien sense of curiosity and she took out her notebook and pen from the sling bag, flipping to the middle page. There were questions she needed answers to, events she knew nothing about, facts which had left a grave impression on her. She knew almost _nothing._

 _Nothing. SHE knew NOTHING. NOTHING about her new surroundings. About her new acquaintances. About the deep secrets buried in this school for special children._

Except for one thing. Only ONE thing she was sure of.

She quickly scribbled down a few words in her eloquent handwriting.

 _Mami = Telekinesis_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She walked silently through the winding corridor, her eyes flickering through the small groups of students _(mental bastards)_ who she ran into from time to time – most of them would stare at her with a piercing gaze, interrogating her with their very curious eyes, but she only offered a soft smile in return, one that exuded a quiet _'leave me alone.'_ Madeleine felt utterly drained in this place, her energy levels falling to drastic lethargy and all the information and events from last night to this morning crowded in her brain, filling it up so much she felt her brain cells would soon explode.

 _(AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!)_

She had filled up with a certain sense of void after that five minute meeting – hanging idly on the point between belief and fiction. _(MONSTERS AND MAGIC)._ She passed by a duo of pretty young girls, which consisted of a softly giggling, tall ginger and a shorter female with long, pale hair who held a cold look of apathy. Usually, Madeleine would not have let go of this chance to interact but at the particular moment . . . . . she felt out of it.

As the two girls passed by her, the ginger whispered "Isn't that the new student, Lynnell?"

The pale-haired one turned her head and threw a long gaze at Madeleine's retreating back, replying "Yes."

The blonde did not hear their words – or even if she did, they floated in through one ear and out of the other due to the troubling notions she was occupied with. The question of breakfast had flown out of her head but as she climbed up two flights of stairs, still caught up in thinking and paying no attention to her silent surroundings. However, on the second floor, when she passed by a balcony-

Madeleine immediately stopped in her tracks, her head flicking snappishly towards the white marbled balcony. Or, more precisely, to the male who stood on the railing, his arms wide open, ready to embrace death.

 _(DUMBASS, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?)_ She rushed towards him, immediately recognizing his long, black coat and the weird circular pattern on its back. She heard him whisper, voice excessively soft "Now this world can finally be happy . . . . ."

And then, he fell forward.

Everything after that seemed to happen painfully slow.

She lunged forward.

His neat black hair was gently caressed back by the wind.

His eyes were closed.

She went skidding to the ground.

Her palms clasped around his ankles.

His eyes snapped open; innocent and hazel.

He fell back.

She landed on the floor.

His heavy form draped on top of her.

 _(GET OFF ME, YOU FAT SON OFF A BITCH!)_ He was actually on the skinnier side of things but she was no athlete – even the skinny lad felt like 200 lbs on her. She placed her palms on his chest and tried to push him off but slowly, with his hands placed on either side of her head, the boy lifted up, his ashen bangs flayed over his head and hanging over his eyes. But even then, they could not hide the wide shock and fear of his hazel eyes.

The boy rapidly sat up and crawled back on his feet and hands, overcome with so much guilt like he's just murdered her. Madeleine stretched out a palm but before she could speak, he started spluttering in horror "Oh no, wha-wha-wha-wha-what-what-what-WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" He crawled back further, shivering terribly. "I just, just, just, just, JUST JUST JUST JUST . . . . . I JUST HURT YOU! I JUST CRUSHED YOU UNDER ME!" She watched with a sweat drop as he shook his head from side-to-side, clutching his hands in his pale fingers and crying "Why . . . . WHY AM I SUCH A BURDEN TO THIS WORLD?! Why do I have to cause misery to everyone around me?! Why was I born?! TO POLLUTE EARTH?! TO BRING DEPRESSION TO EVERYONE?! WHY DIDN'T I DIE?!"

"Um . . . ." she unsuccessfully started. _(WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM?! This ain't no minor lack of self-confidence.)_

He was convulsing like an old man with asthma who just inhaled Cuban cigar smoke. "I'm such trash – USELESS, USELESS, USELESS!" He banged his head forward with each repetition. "I-I-I-I-I-I was born to just cause misery, to just make everyone sad, to spread sadness everywhere!" He quietened down somewhat with the last words "I should just-I should just die . . . ."

Madeleine sighed quietly in relief at the decreased volume – too early.

"I SHOULD JUST DIE!" _(ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH, JUST SHUT UP ALREADY, YOU WHINY LITTLE PSYCHO!)_ He banged the hard marble with his bony fists, screaming "KILL ME, KILL ME ALREADY! TAKE ME AWAY! I'M ONLY A LIABILITY TO THIS WORLD! THE WORLD IS TOTALLY IMPURE WITH ME!"

 _(I CAN'T TAKE THIS PIECE-OF-SHIT ANYMORE)._

During his self-hate rant, she slowly approached him, as to not frighten the nervous puppy. Then, while he wailed with his face buried in his palms, she gently placed her hands on his shoulders – he immediately gave a shocked scream and stared up at her, eyes tear-stained.

"Calm down" she smiled, smoothing her voice to its maximum; a soft and melodious rhapsody. He went speechless, eyeing her through blurred vision of tears, pale lips set a little apart from wheezing. "You're not useless." _(You're as useful as a condom is for a priest.)_ "I grabbed your ankles when I was about to fall." She smiled warmer. "So thank you – for lightening my fall." _(I will avenge my bruised knees, you pathetic little pig)._

His eyes opened so far-wide that she was afraid they might pop out. He opened his mouth, looking like he desperately wanted to say something. She waited for him to gurgle.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-"

And then, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slowly fell forward, his head angling on her left shoulder. Madeleine took a few seconds to realize. _(SHIT. He's fainted)._

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As the alarm clock buzzed incessantly near his bed stand, neon digits blinking 6:30, Robin stirred from sleep, opening his eyes with some effort as they'd stuck close due to dried tears. The brunet blinked through his blurry gaze, watching flecks of dust flutter in the streaming May sunlight, and felt the weight of a thin blanket on his body. He smiled to himself – the work of his roommate no doubt.

Meanwhile, his silver-eyed roommate was seated religiously on his desk, hunched over another work of art, tipping up paint from his palette, moving his hand intricately on paper, light coloured brows furrowed in concentration. Robin yawned and slipped out of bed, blinking rapidly and rolling his shoulders, trying to break the ache in them. He slammed down on the alarm clock rather roughly and plugged his iPod into a charger, before slipping out of bed and grabbing a towel for the washroom, noting that Garrick had already become ready for the day and even had a plate of half-bitten fruits near him; the brunet made sure to grab a piece of apple before popping it neatly into his mouth, peering over the new masterpiece.

"Haf' ye brush'd, Robin?" he mumbled, applying a pastel shade of pink to his vase of roses. He reflected through the tint of the leaves and decided he needed more viridian.

The taller male guffawed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Of course I did. Didn't you see me waking up at 5 and slinking to the bathroom for the important event of brushing?" Garrick sighed, knowing what was coming. "Seriously, dude, you need to stop being so ridiculous – Raven will never notice you if you don't stop being such a dense idiot."

The sallow of his skin burst into a flourish of crimson and the cerulean-haired male threw an aghast look at his roommate; even his glasses were unable to hide the immense widening of his grey orbs. "R-R-ROBIN!" he spluttered, shouting at the retreating back of the brunet. "D-D-DUN JUS' SAYE THIN'S LIKE DAT!" Smirking in amusement, the brunet threw him an unaffected wave before slinking into the retreat of the shower. Garrick slapped both his cheeks with light taps, wishing desperately for the heat in them to die down and the crimson to fade into his earlier pallid. But when his brain kept on flashing the images of a (his) lovely girl, from the elegant scarlet of her soft hair to the shining lime of her innocent eyes, his face wouldn't (couldn't) retreat to normal.

His eyes snapped downwards to his painting and he finally calmed down a little, steadily holding the brush in his lean fingers. He unconsciously added a stark shade of white to his green, using it to paint the stem and leaves and for the remaining, blank roses, he chose the softest red, carefully colouring the petals and making sure there were no nicks in the painting. His back arched and his brows furrowed once again, his mind enraptured in concentration.

When Robin had sidled out of the shower, his locks dripping wet and only a towel wrapped around his narrow waist (the smoothness of his muscular torso left exposed), Garrick was done and carefully tilting the canvas to let it dry. It only took one look for Robin to determine:

"Raven has totally filled up your head again, hasn't she?"

Garrick's eyes widened as he let his words sink in, only currently noticing that instead of his pre-determined pink and dark green, he'd used scarlet _(just like her hair)_ and lime green _(just like her eyes)_ for the painting. He shook his head, running a hand through his sapphire mane, before straightening up. "It's 'ready 6:48. De oders mus' be waitin'. Buzz, Robin." He exited the door, leaving the grumbling male to change.

"Dense idiot."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She stood at the edge of the boys' dormitories, leaning against the wall and staring at her painted toes – however, a loose bow on her brown flats caught her eye and she immediately bent over, struggling to tie it up as her fingers were a little big for such delicate activities. The sound of approaching footsteps went unheard by her as she was getting increasingly irate at the darned piece of thin cloth, just wishing it would tie it up itself.

"Stoopid little piece uf-"

"Top of de mornin' ta ye, Yu." Her green gaze rapidly flickered upwards and Garrick was slightly thrown off by how similar the exotic girl's eye colour was to Raven – the same luminous shade of lime. But everything else about them was . . . . .

"Hey, Garri-kiddo!" she beamed, a row of perfectly straight and white teeth beaming at him. And then, quickly, a worried expression emerged on her face. "Eh, whese Robin?"

"Changin'. He'll be here soon."

The girl before him, Ayumu Burakgazi, blew her bleached fringe out of her face, glaring at it annoyingly before shifting her eyes towards Garrick. "Shooldn't leave him, uh, 'lone like dat, ya' know, Garri." A soft expression settled on her face, the fawn of her cheeks slightly flushing – something which did not escape the male's observant gaze. "He gets pretty . . . . . ya' know . . . ."

"If you continue being so worrisome, you'll get wrinkles before your age, Mama Bear" Robin quipped irately, his expression mildly annoyed as he lightly punched Ayumu's forehead after sliding out from behind the corridor, headphones hanging around his neck. The girl flushed deeper, causing Garrick to covertly smile, before she playfully swatted his hand away.

"Oi, oi" she stuck out her tongue "It's, eh, bad manners to hit your mama, ya disrespectful boy." _(Just a friend)._

He let out a harsh chuckle and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, 'right. _MAMA._ If I had a mama as brash as you, you would've long ago tripped down the stairs in pregnancy and I would've died in your stomach."

"HEY!" she yelled, striding up to him with her chest puffed out – Garrick looked slightly troubled as there was a lingering harshness in her voice. It would be hard to stop them both or restrain even one of them if things got out of hand – she was the same height as him, after all, and pretty heavily set and Robin was . . . . .

He winced. Handling an angry Robin twice was the most he could take.

Scarlet stared down at lime as Ayumu inched even closer and the expression on the male's face was rather neutral – however, much to Garrick's relief, all she did was flick his forehead. "Learn sum manners, kiddo. I won't, you know, always be there to, uh, take care of you."

Robin backed away and screeched "THAT HURT, YOU OLD HAG!"

She rolled her eyes and quipped "Oh, did it, relly? Sorry, my intention was to, uh, gently caress you."

He opened his mouth in a guttural growl but Garrick quickly intervened, coughing "Where're Lena an' Rayne?" He then eyed the corridors behind him, which were filling up with boys and muttered "Can't see Evan swell . . . . . ."

Robin threw him a distasteful glare but snorted the subject away, unzipping his faux-furred hoodie and letting it hang open. Momentarily distracted by his muscular abs barely strained by his tank top – which Garrick noticed again – Ayumu's breath slightly hitched as she said "D-De guls a', ehm, gonna meet us in de, well, dining room itself, so. A-And we'll, uh, see Evan in class anyway, yeah." Then, she immediately turned around, trying hard to force away the red tint that slowly expanded on her fawn skin. "We shood, uh, get goig."

. . . . . . . . . . .

"What if we become late because of Ariri?" Mihai skipped ahead, his frockcoat bouncing grandiosely around his lithe frame. "We'll punish her, punish her!"

The British girl trailed slightly behind with Yorra, wishing the 15-year old would shut his mouth up. "~Nicu, la', I'm 3 inches from shoving ye head 'n de wall. 'N we late cuz ye'd sprinted ta lock yer room, didn't ye?!" She ran her long fingers through her dyed locks, the popular shade of carrots, before a flurry of thoughts entered her mind.

' _Gosh, damn, I saw his . . . oh, oh, OH MY! Blush, go away, go away! AH NO! Our friendship is over, it's totally over if he ever realizes!'_

' _Yu's blushing too hard and yet he never notices. Huhhhh. And yet teases ME about Raven-Gosh, she's too pretty. Her eyes, that wonderful, reflective shade of green . . . . .'_

' _~NOT GONNA DIE TONIGHT! NOT! GONNA! DIEEEEEEEE! NOT GONNA DIE TONIGHT! NOT! GONNA! DIEEEEEEEEEEE~!"_

The last voice almost made Aria's head explode and her palms flew to the sides of her forehead, clutching hard as she let out a sudden groan. Yorra and Mihai immediately turned around, the former worried. "Ari, Aria, Aria, a-a-a-are you ok-ok-okay?"

"Is Ariri in pain?" Mihai cocked his head, amber eyes goggling at her. "Good to know!" And then, in a panic, he refuted "Ignore him! Ignore him! I'm worried, I'm worried!" A beat. "Ariri deserves it." Another beat. "No, you don't! You don't! Yorry, let's take her to the nurse!"

"Stop your yapping, little brat – you can be heard from miles away."

Aria gritted her teeth, slowly looking up. As she'd thought, with his fat sidekick and stupid roommate . . . .

"Sa'yer."

 **Review Replies**

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **Luccu, YOU. PRAISE. ME. TOO. MUCH. But thank you for the support! O_o College at this age . . . . . Well, best of luck with your studies and hope you fit in. XD And I know what you're thinking but they're unrelated in the current context.**

To imea619:

 **Thank you, imea-kun. TT-TT I still feel sad that you couldn't send me an OC but thank you for your review.**

To enarmonios:

 **I tried to take a different approach this time from AEBC just to freshen things up a little bit. I'm glad you like it and I am pleased to hear about your thoughts on Madeleine!**

 **Aria: *smirks* Glad to know I seem that way.**

 **Robin: You have no right to judge me when you don't know me. -_-**

 **Garrick: D-Don't mind de lad. ^_^; He he he, not wolves 'xactly but . . . . ye're gunna find out soon.**

 **Mami: *sips tea calmly* You're a very intelligent young boy.**

 **Aran: ^w^ Please shut up before I make sausages out of your intestines. *stares at Kurumi* I really don't understand this bitter feeling . . . . .**

 **Kurumi: *ignores and floats away***

 **Yup, fighting WILL be there – we'll just focus on the social and psychological side of our OCs more! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! XD And I can assure you on the romance – that's one thing I'm confident about!**

To R.J. Niner:

 **Madeleine:** _ **(Fuck you)**_ **I think you're slightly over-exaggerating. ^_^; I do not hate anyone – I merely think they're out of touch with the world.** _ **(You know TOO much – I don't think I can let you live . . . .)**_

 **Mami: Of course, I consider all of them my very own children – even though they can be a major pain in the arse most of the time.**

 **Aria and Robin: HEY!**

 **Garrick: *sweats nervously* U-Uh, a-ah-ah . . . . y-you'll find out s-soon . . . .**

 **DT: Yup, at least you updated ONE of your stories (even though I've been waiting since DECADES for the other two . . . . But at least you updated so you're safe . . . +^+ FOR NOW) Everything will play out on stage gradually. Thanks for the review!**

To Thedaffodilqueen:

 **Madeleine: *just smiles*** _ **(WHAT AM I . . . . A FUCKING CLOWN TO YOU?!)**_

 **Yorra: / W-We-We-Well, I-I-I'm-I'm not cut, cit, cut, cute . . . . . . .**

 **Aria: *throws arm around Yorra* Don't chya worry . . . . . I'll take gud care of yer Yor . . . . .**

 **Thanks for the kind review!**

To KorianneAnders:

 **Thanks for the review! XD Don't worry, romance is gonna be a big part of this story!**

To ShinBP:

 **Shin-kun, you praise me too much – I'm still an unpolished writer but thank you for the compliments! I really appreciate them (even though they're exaggerated -_-).**

 **Aria: As Sa'yer's creator, ye're unusually kindred~.**

 **Robin: *glares at Shin* JUST WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!**

 **Thanks for review, Shin-kun!**

To Ghost132:

 **Madeleine: . . . . . Who?**

 **Robin: That silver-haired psycho?**

 **Garrick: Wil'son?**

 **Aria: De delusional mercenary~?**

 **Yorra: M-Mes-Miss Tala?**

 **Kurumi: *ignores***

 **Aran: The tall woman?**

 **Reid: The bi who always bunks class?**

 **Madeleine: . . . . Who?!** _ **(WHO THE FUCK IS THIS TALA?!)**_

 **This will play out brilliantly for everyone. +^+ *rubs hands and snickers evilly***

To AncientUnicorn:

 **Madeleine: *looks away in embarrassment*** _ **(HAS EVERYBODY TURNED INTO A FUCKING MIND READER OR WHAT?!)**_

 **Yorra: / I-I-I'm n-not adora, adori, adoble, adorable . . . . .**

 **Thank you for the review, oh gracious unicorn!**

To CommanderAnth0n7:

 **Yup, and I'm glad too that you put the brother-sister duo in! They've given me loads of plot points to work with! Thank you for the review!**

To Little Knight Mik:

 **Aria: -_-**

 **Robin: =w=**

 **Madeleine: TT-TT;** _ **(HOW THE HELL ARE THESE ASSHOLES READING MY MIND?!)**_

 **/ Y-You praise me too much, Mik-san. *scratches nape* But thank you for the compliments. ^_^ I really appreciate them.**

 **Kurumi: *ignores and floats away***

 **Yorra: In-inter-interes-ting? / I-I-I'm a very del, dell, dult, dull person!**

 **Madeleine: ^w^; Yes, the school is indeed very . . . . unique.** _ **(UNIQUE MY ASS! IT'S A PLACE FOR RETARDS!)**_

 **Other characters OwO; Not sure what you'll think of them . . . . .**

 **(Yes, even I have to agree. *strokes beard* Some people are 'namely'-talented *nod, nod*)**

To Eko-Sama:

 ***wiggles eyebrows* Having fun with hot nurses and white walls? Ooooooooooohhh~ (JK, JK)**

 **Thanks for sending him to me though. ^w^ I appreciate it. *pats Eko on the back Hard***

 **Madeleine: TT-TT *rocks back and forth in emo corner* Oh, the shame . . . .**

 **Aran: *as emotional as a rock***

 **Aria: -_-; I dunno wat to say~ . . . .**

 **Yorra: O/O C-C-Cru-crus-crus-crush o-on ME?! But I-I-I'm-I'm-I am DULL!**

 **Madeleine: Now who is this Ollie?** _ **(I give a rat's ass about what that freak thinks of me)**_ **And WHO has a crush on me again? -_-;** _ **(Damn it, I hope not another one of those fucking creepy stalkers . . . .)**_

 **Update soon? +^+ Shouldn't I be saying that to YOU?**

To PotatoInUrFace:

 **Madeleine: Ah, yes, school can be tiring sometimes. ^_^** _ **(SCHOOL IS A FUCKING PAIN IN THE FUCKING ASS).**_ **I am not a big fan of tea but yes, I agree, it's very healthy.** _ **(THE SHIT CAN GO TO HELL FOR ALL I CARE.)**_

 **Aria: Ye got dat 'ight~.**

 **Mami: *sips green tea while watching Potato-san with a very observant gaze* . . . . I have to say, you're very close child.**

 **Robin: -_- Far off, dude. FAR OFFFFFFFFFFFF.**

 **Aran: *flips through notebook and fixes Potato-san with a gaze that looks fake-peeved* My past . . . . . . I'm sorry but I cannot tell you about it. It is a very big secret. *checks notebook again* *nods twice***

 **/ Hehehe, thank you so much for the compliments but really, I'm not that good. But really, thank you. And yup! *w* There're gonna be sparkles and hearts everywhere! *throws rose petals in the air* And mystery tooooooo . . . . *room suddenly goes dark and becomes very chilly***

 **It's 'kay, it's 'kay! ;D For latest HOTD SYOC news, you know which radio to sign into!**

 **Sayonara and thanks for the review!**

To Mookiebear12:

 **Ohhhhhhhhh~? Is the Little Mermaid finally gaining some fire~? -3-**

 **Quotes are a personal favourite of mine. =w= Meanie. Well, her quotes weren't THAT lame. XD (JK, JK. I liked three of them a lot).**

 **XPPPPPPPPP BAKA.**

 **+^+ YES YES, TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW.**

 **Madeleine: O_O?**

 **Never mind. :D I'm thankful you reviewed!**

 **Robin: *cracks knuckles* Hell yeah.**

 **Aria: *spits* Cum a'me!**

To Kiyumie:

 **DT: O.o *stares at Madeleine's form and then stares at Rikuo's form* HOLY. SHIT. How the hell did I create two alike characters without realizing?! ;D Looks like I need to fool you a bit more than the others, don't I, my LoliDolly?**

 **Nah, it's 'kay. You don't need to review every chapter but thanks. I appreciate it. :) Exams are killing, aren't they? TT-TT I totally feel you, Kiyu. I feel you. Take your time – BUT UPDATE YOUR FICS FAST. WE'RE STUCK!**

 **Mami: *sips on earl grey* I need to look after some quite troublesome children, Ms. Lucifer. You have a fair idea.**

 **Aria: Ye wach 'nime?**

 **Robin: *face palms* -_- Why does that sound more like an insult rather than a compliment?**

 **You're lucky cause we have 50% discount on grey wolves – ONLY FOR THIS WEEK!**

 **Madeleine: ^_^; You stole the words from my mouth.**

 ***shamelessly avoids Kiyu's probes* All in good time.**

 **Kurumi: *ignores and floats away***

 **Robin: You ignored your own mum!**

 **Kurumi: *gives a 'I-don't-give-a-fuck' stare***

 **There're some students who're to dangerous to share a room with other students.**

 **Aran: *flips through checklist* *gives 4 cm long smile* Thank you.**

 **Uhhh . . . I don't think that was a compliment . . . . .**

 **Thanks Kiyu! :D I'm glad you remembered!**

 **Madeleine: ^_^; I see.** _ **(You creepy bitch. I rather you hadn't.)**_

To Lazersword88:

 **Ah, thank you for reviewing and for the constructive criticism! About that little mistake about the windows, it was a typo. However, I've now fixed it to 'rolled up.' I hadn't noticed the error at all. Thank you.**

 **I will take the slow and steady route for this story so Madeleine's character will be explored in slow pieces but I don't think she is comparable to Murph. He's like a father figure so he's more like Mami in that regard.**

 **Yup, you can definitely interact with the OCs!**

 **+^+ He's right, everybody. Watch out for Gwen . . . . .**

To BLEEHH:

 **Madeleine: ^_^ I think I just misunderstood you right now. You didn't just call me a . . . . hypocrite, did you?** _ **(GOD. KILL ME ALREADY)**_

 **Robin: =_= Yes, yes. Please amuse yourself at the expense of my misery.**

 **Aria: Dun look fo'wad ta it, 'kay~? -_-**

 **Yorra: ^/^ Ari, Ara, Aria m-may look cold b-but se, say, shay, she is actually v-ver-ver-very sweet . . . . . . .**

 **Aria: *looks away out of discomfort***

 **Mami: Oooooooooooh.**

 **TT-TT You're so close it hurts.**

 **Robin: *snorts* Maybe cause I haven't used my Essence yet?**

 **Kurumi: You will see more of Kurumi because she is an excellent character and powerful.**

 **Aran: *flips through checklist* *gives 6 cm long smile* Thank you!**

 **That was . . . . . not a compliment either . . . . .**

 **Oh, and I'm sorry for the confusion! The () are Madeleine's thoughts, ~~ are only used to hint a singsong tone (which Aria mostly uses) and "" are normal dialogues.**

 **Thank you for the review, BLEEHH-san! :D**


	5. Ep3 - lYiNg InNoCeNcE

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **I'm really happy to see all the positive vibes this story's been receiving and am happy that you guys are excited to see your OCs interact with their surroundings! :D However, I hope you guys can hold out for a little longer since I wanna go slow and steady with the introductions but I assure you, IT'LL ALL BE WORTH THE WAIT! *_***

 **Also, there're three similar limitations which are set on every OC's 'Essence.' They are: 1.) A limited time period (your OC cannot use their Essence for the whole day, obviously!) 2.) A minimal requirement of concentration (depends on how strong and devastating their powers are) and 3.) It is obvious that their stamina will drain faster when they use their Essence than when they do not use it. I'm sorry for forgetting to mention it in the Prologue but it's not unfair, is it, since everybody has these limitations.**

 **For this episode, here're Madeleine's fears:**

 **Fears: Abandonment, exposing her true self, frogs, Klaus Reittmaan, ropes, prolonged exposure to excessive variety of sharp objects.**

 **~ Ep. 3 – lYiNg InNoCeNcE ~**

" _~Oi, ye think we gunna be besties foeva?"_

" _Course, dumbass . . . . . Why, you found a new one or something?"_

" _Na, la'. Jus' wonderin'~."_

" _Keep on wondering while I munch on your chocolates."_

" _Wha-? YE NITWIT, GIVE DEM BACK!"_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aria tried to ignore the buzzing vibrations in her head and stand solid on her feet – letting Robin see her vulnerable like this would be the last thing she'd ever do. She could feel Mihai and Yorra instinctively stand on either side of her, protectively close. Like Garrick and Ayumu, who took a step forward, almost like worried parents who were about to stop their kid from getting into a fight. A funny sight to any onlooker but the tension between the two trios was palpable enough to hack through with an axe.

Robin and Aria were bestowing each other with murderous glares, the smouldering look of his eyes and almost-gnarled teeth was not uncommon on the brunet's face but the dirty glower the skinny female adopted whenever she saw him was a heavy turn of character compared to her usually taciturn nature. A very disturbing aura was beginning to leak out of both of them and for some strange reason, the surrounding, plain corridors were beginning to turn into a boxing arena.

" _ **On the left . . . YES! YES! ON THE LEFT!" Nicu announced, flinging out a dangling arm. "We have the Queen of Sarcasm, Aria Rivers!" Yorra was in gym trainer's outfit and was massaging the orange-haired girl's shoulders.**_

" _ **Annnnnnnnnnddddd, on the right . . . . RIGHHHHHHHHHTTTT! RIGHT!" he continued, flinging out another dangling arm. "We have, the Hot-headed Idiots Lord, Robin Levi Sawyer!" Garrick was dressed in sweats and fanning the brunet while Ayumu seemed to be making some pretty wild gestures, yelling:**_

" _ **PUMMEL HER! YAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**_

"STOP/STAHP GIVIN' ME SHITTY TITLES!" both of them yelled simultaneously at Mihai who squealed in fear before shaking and hiding behind Yorra, who was quivering herself and staring at the duo with tearful eyes. Robin and Aria, both of whom had a weak spot for cute, crying people, immediately averted their gazes and returned to heatedly glaring at each other.

Ayumu groaned in annoyance before stepping in front of Robin and staring down at the slightly amused carrot-head. "Now lookie here, uhn, Rivers. We're not looking for an, uh, argument early'n the morning." When Robin opened his mouth to protest, she flicked his forehead without turning back earning a rather loud giggle from Mihai and an amused smile to flit on Aria and Garrick's faces – but the brunet had shut up the males with a loathsome stare. "So I suggest we, yeah, go our own way and, um, try to avoid this as, yeah."

The pale girl gave the taller female a long, hard stare, arms crossed over her chest before mumbling "~What're ye, his ma~?" Before Ayumu could reply, she clicked her tongue and sassed "Oh yeah, I 'got – ye're de Mama Bear, aren't ye, Brakkgassi~?"

Ayumu clenched her fists and gritted "It's BU-RAK-GA-ZI." God, this kid really flipped her off a lot – she couldn't stand people like Aria Rivers! "Just scoot it, yeah." She placed her hands on her hips, trying to look her best authoritative – Mama Bear could not disappoint her kids.

It was taking a lot of effort for Aria to not swing her fist and smother the ceiling with 'Brakkgassi's' face – the hulking woman annoyed the fucking shit out of her. She needed to learn how to mind her own business. "~Ye folks are de ones who disrupted US wen we were goin' on a own merry way.~" If the tall bitch's punches wouldn't feel like a Grizzly Bear crushing her cheeks, Aria would've attacked her over-endowed boobs a long while ago.

Suddenly, both girls felt hesitant fingers latch onto their tunic and shirt respectively – Garrick and Yorra spoke silently with their eyes, repeating 'Let it rest, let it rest, let it rest.' But being the stubborn mules they were, they shrugged off the contact as gently as they could much to Robin and Mihai's excitement. Both males' eyes glittered 'FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!'

"You're pissing me off, ya know, Rivers." She growled, her voice bellowing deep out of her chest. Ayumu's patience was receding fast.

And so was Aria's. "~Fis' me 'ready den" she hissed, not backing down despite the circumstances favouring her opponent more, who was taller and heavy-set. "~Can see how much ye wanna in yer eyez~."

"FIGHT!" Robin and Mihai cheered.

'I don't want to go to detention again!' Yorra and Garrick were rocking in their emo corners.

And then, fists flew towards each other-

Before a large 'CLANK!' was heard and the girls cried out "FUCK!" in pain, clutching their bruised fists towards their chests, glaring at the figure who stood between them flaunting a cocky smirk. Steady tapping of heels could be heard approaching them, accompanied by a voice. "Burakgazi, you're assigned detention today – a good thing too since you can accompany your friends Rivers and Sawyer." Ayumu felt the urgent need to punch the shit out of a brick wall. "Florescu" Mihai perked up at the mention of his surname and waved at the slender figure who was walking towards them. "You too, for encouraging illicit activities." His smile dropped and he whined.

"But we didn't do anything!" A beat. "We only wanted to see them fight, see them fight!" Another beat. "Oh . . . . then we DID do something, we guess."

"Ryu and Ashworth." Yorra and Garrick started violently when their names were called out and beginning to sweat, slowly turned their attention to their student council president, Nyx Gaia Seraphim, who had now accompanied her younger sister Eris – the girl responsible for stopping the punches with her steel-turned hands that were slowly receding to fleshed ones – and gulped. Nyx eyed them warily before arriving to a decision. "Since you both didn't do anything, I'll let you go." They broke into thankful smiles. "Although next time" her voice chilled and they straightened again "I'll expect a little more effort on your part to stop your friends."

'Easy for you to say . . . . .' they returned to their emo corners.

"Ya don't need to turn into iron girl all the time, ya know." Ayumu had small tears in the corner of her eyes since she'd just punched steel WITHOUT using her 'Essence' – AND IT HURT LIKE SHIT! Aria was going to say 'I agree' but caught her tongue just in time. She would NEVER outwardly agree to anything Brakkgrassi said. NEVER.

Eris guffawed at their pained expressions and bit back "Ya guys should spend all dis energy on de zoms – or if ya wanna beat de shit outta each oder DAT bad, take it outta school." However, she regretted her words when she felt a hand crawl to her shoulder.

"I'm sure they don't need your encouragement, _sister dear"_ Nyx gave her a heavily poisoned smile before turning a cold face to the other six. "And if you guys don't want to go hungry till lunch, hurry up. You only have" she threw her gaze to a cat-shaped clock that adorned the corridor wall. "Half an hour." They immediately turned around, military-like and the two trios scooted as far as they could from each other and made way to the dining hall.

"DUN SKIP, RIVERS AND SAWYER!" Eris called out from behind them, her voice holding a chuckling tune. "IF YA DON'T WANNA REPEAT OF LAST TIME!" Their moods further worsened at the mention of their last detention.

'Ugh . . . . . anything but that . . . .'

Nyx started walking ahead of her sister, looking miffed as her turquoise cheongsam trailed majestically after her, the slit sides showing off the toned curves of her legs. Eris admired her sister's figure a lot – a slender hourglass with toned limbs and lush E-cups. Her hands unconsciously went to her own flat and undeveloped chest, a mere A, and she patted the small nubs, which were not visible even under her skin-tight leather jumpsuit. Realizing that her older sister was getting farther away, she hurried up until she was dutifully by the tall girl's side.

Eris was slightly confused when Nyx walked to an open window instead of up the stairs but she understood that they were running out of time and could not leisurely trot up the stairs as they usually did. The oldest Seraphim sister's eyes flashed momentarily before they returned back to their normal shades of mauve and amber. With an assuring smile, she offered a hand to Eris and the 15-year old took it, jumping out of the window behind her sister but instead of falling down a floor onto the rocky ground, they landed on a flat surface of accumulated air, in the shape of a translucent carpet which held their combined body weights with ease while levitating effortlessly.

With a snap of Nyx's fingers, both sisters floated higher, towards the school's terrace, which was occupied by the large greenhouse taken care of and resided in by their closest friend, Asriel Kritanta. Eris stared worriedly at her older sister, who was staring up straight at their destination while mumbling "Nyx, ah ye-"

"I told you, sweetie, I am okay. OKAY." She said with a sigh before giving a slightly peeved smile to her anxious-looking sister. "You know I'm aware of my body's limits and I NEVER overdo things. A little splurge now and then won't matter much, sweetheart." Though her worry was not fully erased, Eris was forced to return a convinced smile since they had reached their destination.

There were two things which hit them as soon as they'd stepped on the terrace. One, was the tempting, sensuous smell of roses in full bloom. The other was a song – a low hum in a quiet monotone, floating subtly yet clearly from inside a vast domed structure, tall trees with broad leaves pressed against its glass walls.

"Loos lak he hasn't woken 'em up, 'nyway" Eris shrugged, trying to be as casual as possible to counter her sister's growing dark aura. The curvaceous young woman stalked towards the greenhouse, her cheongsam sparkling in the sunlight with a lovely sapphire tinge and its edges trailing after her. Eris grinned to herself – this promised some amusement.

As Nyx pushed open the door of the greenhouse, a vast expanse of greenery dotted with colourful hints of various petals greeted them – from the left flank of evergreen trees with their broad leaves to the right flank which had a variety of scented wild creepers and flowers. In the middle of all the greenery, a figure crouched on the floor, transferring a bunch of white lilies from its store-bought packet to a dainty pot. Nyx and Eris quietly walked towards the anorexic figure, a scarlet dress shirt loose on his lanky frame matched with black dress pants, stained with loose soil covering the edges. With soft, smooth hair that tumbled below his shoulders in sleek strands, patented a forest green, he hummed a low tune, even as his bony fingers continued to weave through the soil with skilled practice.

"Aren't these lilies beautiful? But, they do not hold a mark on your beauty, my Angel" he whispered, turning back to look at the two girls with brilliantly terrifying eyes, which looked to be a beautiful monstrosity of nature. His pale skin glowed with the blank slate of reflected emerald but his eyes were a different story – ivory pupils shaped like pentagrams occupied both orbs, with the left one screened against a background of deep black. Meanwhile, his right iris seemed to be in a constant state of frenzy, changing colours every alternate second, from a blood red to metallic grey to a sky blue. The President, despite trying hard, could not preserve the angry frown on her face – a beautiful smile bloomed as she enveloped the painfully thin young man in a loving embrace, making sure not to squeeze too hard due to how fragile he seemed.

"Morning, baby" she whispered, having to strain on her tiptoes to whisper in the towering male's ear – Eris gagged in the background, not used to the blatant show of affection despite having witnessed it many times. "Did you forget to wake up the triplets today?" As Asriel felt her words sink in, he froze and the fresh emerald of his hair quickly receded into a pale, spotless white.

He broke from the embrace and chattered "I-I-I-I-I forgot." Quietly trying to camouflage himself in the shelter of the large trees, away from Nyx's bitterly poisonous smile, he said "I-I-I'm really sorry, Angel!" The school President slowly approached him, her wine-coloured ringlets softly framing her face.

Asriel squeezed his eyes shut when the slender woman stood directly in front of him – but he immediately relaxed when he felt her soft palm caress his bony cheek and slowly opened his eyes, to be met with his beautiful Angel's smiling face. "How can I ever get angry at you?" she mumbled and he smiled, his sharp fangs pressing against the thin membrane of his lips.

Eris gave them a rueful smile and placing her arms behind her head, turned around and said "A'ight, a'ight, now, les be off foh cla-"

But her sentence was harshly interrupted by a high-pitched shriek of the wind and the President eyed two black objects break through the glass of the greenhouse and approach them at full speed. "ERISSSSSSS!" she screamed, creating a ball of fire in her hand while Asriel had moved, and for a single moment, thin, translucent strands rapidly shot out of his body and pierced themselves into the shoulders of a shocked Eris – and pulled her away milliseconds before the black objects hit the spot where she'd been standing and created a small explosion, burning the nearby pots to cinder. The 15-year old landed on the ground a few metres away, temporarily paralysed from the jolt while the thin strands pulled out as quickly as they'd penetrated her shoulders and resided into an enraged Asriel's body, whose snow white hair was fast receding into a colour of dark ebony.

Meanwhile, Nyx had shot her compact fireball at the second object and on contact, both created a small explosion, throwing burning particles at the three teens on the ground but she quickly made a circular motion with her right arm and a liquid barrier surrounded them, dousing out the flames. She snapped her fingers and it dissipated as wet stains on the floor.

"KYAAAAAAAHHHH, THAT WAS FUNNNNNN!" They heard a loud giggle echo from outside and Eris and Asriel both rushed out, anger seizing them in a burning wave as they shattered through the closed door, Nyx's words deaf on their ears. Running into the sunlight, they only saw a brief glimpse of a figure floating in the sky before it'd disappeared into a black hole.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" Eris screamed, her large golden eyes flashing dangerously. She punched the floor in anger with her fist and created a large crack, with pieces of rubble jutting out of the ground. "I'LL TURN YOU INTO MINCEMEAT, YOU COWARD!" she threw a particularly heavy piece with her cement-turned hands at the fading black hole but as soon as it neared the swirling void, the object had disappeared into a pinprick of a dot which soon vanished.

Asriel, on seeing that their attacker had disappeared, managed to calm down a little and his hair receded into constantly changing shades much like his right eye. The younger Seraphim was gnashing her teeth together and looked like she would explode from anger but fortunately, her older sister had arrived on time and immediately calmed her down with a half hug. "Eris" she whispered soothingly, her words a harmonizing melody to calm down the enraged girl "Calm down, sweetie. That person is gone – they're gone." She planted a kiss on the young one's forehead and her pupils slowly widened, and her shoulders stopped quivering – Eris took in a deep breath and leaned against her sister's chest.

Asriel, utterly thankful that two of the most important people in his life were okay, softly sighed in relief but his attention was caught by a small sheet of paper floating down from the sky. He stretched out a palm to hold it and his eyes tapered when he saw it was a letter – a letter in fancy cursive.

"Baby" Nyx mumbled, rubbing her sister's shoulders "What does it say?"

He did not show much expression but from the grave knitting of his eyebrows, she knew it was no joking matter. "We must" he sighed again, looking exhausted beyond his years as those beautifully monstrous eyes stared into her own "show this to Mami."

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With great difficulty, she'd dragged him across the floor with whatever meagre strength she had and arranged his back so that it comfortably leaned against the railing of the balcony. Madeleine then quickly got up on her feet and resolved to get out of there as fast as she could. _(I've done my fucking duty and this cry-baby's not gonna die out here . . . besides, somebody's bound to find him anyway. So now . . .)_ She quickened her pace, tightened her fists and started mechanically walking towards the open balcony door, before somebody-

And then, in her hurry, she walked right into a taller figure whose dazzling innocent beauty almost blinded her gaze.

 _(WHO IS THIS PRINCE?!)_ A cherub like face with large, innocent violet eyes, silky soft lilac hair that flowed gently in a short ponytail and pink lips set apart in a surprised 'O', stood staring at her, smooth lashes curling against his chiselled cheeks. _(GAHHHHHHH, HIS PURE BEAUTY IS KILLING MY EYES!)_ Madeleine took a few rapid steps back, covering her eyes with her right arm . . . . . before realizing the stupid pose she had probably taken and automatically straightening up. She smiled "I'm sorry for bumping into you but I'm new here and have lost my way."

Haejin sweat-dropped. _'Her expressions changed so fast!'_ But realizing that it would be rude not to greet someone when they've greeted you, he bowed once towards her before flipping to the first page of his drawing book _(Don't tell me he's like that emotionless psycho from before . . .)_ and flashed the page towards her, with a smile on his charming face.

' **Yo, I'm Park Haejin but dude, you can call me Evan. Let's be bros! XD *fistbump*'**

Madeleine could only stare, dumbfounded and unable to register a reaction, her jaw hanging limply. Haejin stared at her with a confused gaze before looking at the page and distorting his facial expression in shock. He rapidly shook his head at her and gestured her to wait before turning to the second page and then flashing it to her face with a nervous smile.

' **Hey, I'm Park Haejin but you can call me Evan, Ms. Cute! ;) I hope we can be friends with each other. P.S: Wanna see a magic trick?'**

 _(DISGUSTING MUTE FLIRT.)_ "Nice to meet you too . . . Evan" she wondered if he realized her hesitation but from the warm smile on his face, it looked like he didn't. However, it was when he started approaching her with a mischievous expression that made the blonde feel nervous and unsure. _(Uggggghhhhh . . . . it's not even been 12 hours in this school yet and I have to already deal with perverts . . . .)_ She remained rooted to her spot, even when he was inches away from her and then-

He slowly leaned down, his right palm reaching up to her face and causing Madeleine's cheeks to gradually blossom in a shade of scarlet. When his long fingers lightly blushed against her ear, she gasped as he softly pulled on a lock of her wavy hair before holding up a fresh-smelling red rose to her face, winking at her.

She had to stab her palms with her nails to not break out into a cluster of flusters. _(GAAAAAAAAHHHHH . . . . . . WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO GOOD-LOOKING?!)_ Even with her inner self blushing and flushing and drowning in shyness, her outer self steeled herself with a shield of iron armour before graciously accepting the flower and shooting him a lovely smile of her own, her eyelids lowered just a bit over her bright emerald eyes. _(I'm sure playboys like him are immune to all these cheap techniques)._ "Thank you, Evan." She giggled a little. "It's very sweet of you."

His reaction shocked her.

The lilac-haired Eurasian rapidly backed away from her before crashing into the adjacent wall, his knees going weak with shivers and the alabaster of his face quickly turning into a deep, DEEP crimson. _(WHY THE FUCK ARE_ _ **YOU**_ _BLUSHING?! YOU'RE A GODDAMN PLAYBOY!)_ Once his eyes met hers, he immediately shifted his gaze before turning to his right, then left, then staring at the ceiling and gawking at the floor. Anywhere except where the blonde stood, dumbstruck and hopeless.

 _(I give up . . . . I cannot handle these people . . . .)_

However, the unconscious, timid guy from before caught her peripheral vision and she got an idea. "Umm, Evan" she asked in a soft, helpless voice that guys always fell for when she needed to ask them for help _(This place has turned me into a low-grade bitch. I can't believe this . . .)_ He awkwardly turned to face her, still blushing horribly _(I JUST SMILED AND THANKED YOU, YOU LOONY – I DIDN'T PUT MY HANDS INSIDE YOUR PANTS!)._ "Could you please help me out here?" She stepped to the side and it was then that Haejin caught sight of the unconscious male – Madeleine immediately knew he knew him with the way his right hand flew to cover his mouth in shock and he raced towards the male, kneeling down in front of him. She gave his frame a once over before deeming that he was strong enough to carry the skinny male although he did seem shorter. "I'm guessing you both know each other?"

Awkwardness lost to the wind, Haejin turned to her with a smile and nodded twice before scribbling down on a fresh page: **'Yup. He's Ayumi Daitoryu. We're classmates.'** As she finished reading over his shoulder, he added as an afterthought: **'What happened to him?'**

 _(I TRIED TO STOP YOUR CLASSMATE FROM SUICIDING AND HE FAINTED ON MY SHOULDER AS THANKS)._

"I don't fully know but for some reason, he was standing here on the balcony all alone" she made sure to add a tinge of worry to her voice. "And then, when I approached him, he fell unconscious."

Haejin gave her a blank look _(DON'T TELL ME HE CAUGHT MY LIE?! IMPOSSIBLE!)_ before rapidly scribbling down another message below his previous sentences. He showed them to her with an awkward smile. **'He was going to jump off, wasn't he?'**

 _(HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?! HOW MANY TIMES HAS HE DONE THIS ALREADY?!)_ When she silently nodded, he scribbled down again: **'It's his hobby.'**

 _(COMMITTING SUICIDE IS A HOBBY?!)_

Haejin rolled his shoulders before turning around and slanting his back. Madeleine understood that he was asking her to help put Ayumi on his back so that he could take him . . . . to the infirmary perhaps. "You'll be taking him to the infirmary then?" He nodded. She (roughly) dragged Ayumi from his leaning position and with great effort, fitted him snugly on Haejin's back. It took some difficulty standing up on his knees _(Don't fall, don't fall . . . .)_ but once she saw that both guys would be okay, she allowed herself to step back. Haejin had pinned his pen to the collar of his long beige sweater while his notebook was folded in his hands which were, in turn, wrapped around Ayumi's thighs.

Madeleine wanted to go her own way and visit the dining room _(I can eat an ELEPHANT!)_ but then realized she had no idea where it was. And she didn't want to get lost and end up asking another viridian-haired jerk for help. "Can I tag along?" she asked, remembering to tone down her smile to a strictly acquaintance level and Haejin nodded, returning her smile.

As they stepped out of the balcony and made way towards the infirmary, Madeleine noted that many more students were beginning to crowd the corridors now – however, the population here was still less than half of Goethals. The blonde stepped closer to Haejin, positively unnerved by some of the glances she was getting and wondering if she'd be treated like a parasite for the rest of her one-month stay. The one true question on her mind was why, when they showered her with penetrating gazes, did they not give Ayumi a second glance? _(Are they really used to his 'hobbies' so much?)_

She internally chided herself. To expect normalcy in this place was a foolish, stupid, childish wish.

Most of the walk was spent in complete silence with Haejin giving her an occasional, sweet smile and she made sure to smile back as platonically as she could – as cute he was _(I hope that carrot-haired bum isn't around here anywhere),_ she found him much, MUCH better when he was in his current mode; only smile and no talk. _(And quite a looker too!)._ It was positively adorable the way he carried the timid Ayumi – she would've gushed in any other place. But in a school for lunatics . . . . no sir.

And then, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

 _(Do they . . . . . . have powers too?)_

She had a fair idea what the powers of Mami and Aria were. And maybe, just MAYBE, that floating child from the morning. Did Robin, the creepy guy from morning, Ayumi and Evan . . . .

Were they paranormally talented too?

If Haejin wouldn't have suddenly stopped in front of a room with a narrow entrance that was covered by a thick white cloth, she would've continued walking, lost in her thoughts. She steeled to a stop, centimetres away from crashing into them – she did not want to THINK what would happen if she initiated the slightest physical contact. He turned back, still smiling like an Angel and pointed to the door as if to say **"We're here."**

Madeleine slowly gazed at the frugally covered doorway from beside the taller male, watching silently as he walked in, Ayumi draped peacefully over his back. She would've taken a step in too . . . . . . . .

IF NOT FOR THE UTTERLY HORRIBLE CHILL THAT RAKED OVER HER WHOLE BODY, GRASPING HER SPINE IN POISONOUS CLAWS, CHOKING HER PAINFULLY.

Haejin felt his right hand throb faithfully but this time . . . . . the feeling was a little . . . . . different – something he hadn't experienced ever since he'd got his Essence. Before he could turn back, he heard his blonde friend rake in deep gasps of breath and on a swift turn, was greeted by the sight of her leaning against a wall, hand placed on her chest, sweat pouring down her skin in thin trails. She looked troubled and in severe pain but as soon as her weary eyes met his, she clamped her lips shut and straightened with effort. They continued staring at each other for a few seconds before Madeleine whispered "I-I must take leave of you for the moment, Evan. I have forgotten something in my room, it seems." And then, she shot him the friendly, platonic smile again. "Good day to you and let's meet again, sometime."

He mutely nodded, slightly bereaving his inability to speak and watched as she left him, going towards the left of the corridor, her footsteps slightly hurried. He continued watching, feeling slight fatigue strain his arms due to Ayumi's weight and saw her thin figure disappear around a corner. _Is she really . . . . . normal?_

Shrugging off the fact for the moment, Haejin entered the infirmary, which was shrouded in complete darkness and contained a strong smell of flavoured cigarettes. Pouting, he turned on the light in the room, watching it be flooded in a deep orange and placed the lightly breathing Ayumi on the nearest bed, cracking his knuckles and twisting his neck to relieve them of the accumulated soreness. He then turned his attention to the lone figure in the room who sat lax, leaning back in a large, black armchair, feet up on the work table and rough fingers delicately holding a cigarette near his dark lips, smoke floating out in thin wisps as he took long drags. The middle-aged man eyed Haejin from behind his rectangular spectacles and drawled in a tired baritone "Ah, so it's old Ayumi again. Hey there, Evan. Mornin'."

Haejin continued glaring critically at him, arms folded and mauve eyes narrowed and the bespectacled man sighed, disposing his cigarette in a thoroughly used ash tray, dusting off some of the ash which had accumulated on his stained white lab coat. He stretched his arms and gave out a large yawn. "Alright, alright, kiddo. I'll have a look at him – don't go all 'glaring' on me." Haejin nodded his assent before making a quick scribble on his drawing book:

' **Do tk cr of im. Lt 4 cls. & dnt lve im lon lyk las tym!'**

The infirmary doctor scratched the scruffy, rough strands which were just beginning to peek from underneath his fair skin and smirked lazily "I ain't gay, Evan – I have no intention of 'loving' Ayumi."

Haejin broke out into a flustered blush and wrote with shaky fingers **'DNT MSNDRSTND ON PRPSE!'**

Chuckling out a dry laugh, he ruffled the pouting teen's head and replied "Just go, kiddo. I'll be here – I have paper work to do anyway." The lavender-haired male glared at him, still pouting, before pointing to his eyes with both fingers and then pointed at the doctor. **'I'll be watching you'** he meant. The older male waved him off and the boy rushed out of the dank room, jogging hurriedly as to not miss breakfast.

 _I hope . . . . . Ms. Kasner is alright . . . . whatever happened back there?_

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"Not again, Lykke!" a groan could be heard emanating out of the locked doors of Room No. 245 in the girls dormitory – a groan belonging to a very agitated woman who was glaring (or trying to glare) at the petite redhead sitting on the bed in front of her. "This is the SEVENTH time this month! You can't keep hiding them from Mami forever!" The person she was scolding (or trying to scold) stared up with a gaze that oozed angelic innocence and Cataleya shrank away, trying to thwart the kitty-rays that attacked her with their cuteness. "Kyaaaaaaah, stop it, stop it!" she yelled, waving her arms about as her heart melted from the 'moe magma'. Sighing, the Latina placed her hands on her shapely hips and pouted "Alright, alright, tell me your 'story'." She sounded very peeved indeed.

Sitting in front of her, with scarlet hair cascading down in unevenly cut strands of silk, and innocently bright jade orbs flamed by lovely red lashes, was an Elfin girl, holding out her palms – which were a stark contrast from her beauty and were painted with large, ugly blisters, flayed skin and flickers of raw flesh. The sight was painful to look at and even Cataleya, who had developed a blank void against sights of gore, was naturally a little squeamish at seeing the wounds on her young friend's hands. "I'm sorry, Cat." Even the soft melody in her voice, underlined by chastity, was an ideal addition to the character of the 'perfect' girl. "But I dreamt about . . . ." her wide eyes narrowed, a demonic hint of malice flashing through them, which passed unnoticed by the brunette. " _Her_ again . . . . . ." The emphasized word was weaved with disgust and repulsion and her lips slight shook as Lykke spoke – as if even thinking about the 'person' had dirtied her mind.

"Awwwww, sweetheart" Cataleya was bought with the blink of an eye, her soft hands smoothing over Lykke's soft strands – the redhead flinched at the contact, her damaged palms squeezing against each other but she made no other motion, slightly thankful when the contact was seized. "Gwen's been gone for a week!" There was happiness in the brunette's voice as she spoke, her dark eyes dancing with joy. "That's the longest she's disappeared and I do share the thought with most that she's won't be returning soon!" But Lykke's neutral expression dawned on her. "Seriously though, Lykke" Cataleya continued in a softer smile, her grin toning down to a sad smile "I DO think she won't be back. After what happened last time-"

"What did Mami say?" the petite girl asked in a quiet tone, gazing up at one of her few friends with masked eyes. Cataleya, not having heard her words clearly, knitted her brows together and Lykke repeated, slightly louder "What did Mami say about . . . .?" She let her question fade, malice shooting through her face again at the thought of cold, reptilian amber – but she'd managed to compose herself when Cataleya turned to her again.

The brunette bit her full lips in hesitance, shifting her weight from one lean leg to the other. But the soulful gaze of the burnished emerald eyes made her crack. "She thinks similarly to you" she gave in, running a tired hand through her short curls. "She thinks . . . . . Gwen's not gone from our lives."

" _My pretty little pixie . . . . I wonder, what these scarlet strands will feel like, fluttering through my fingers . . . . AS I DRAG YOU THROUGH THE DIRT?!"_

Anger flared dangerously inside Lykke but she forced herself to swallow it down and calm herself – besides, what mattered now was that Gwen had temporarily disappeared from their lives and she would continue to enjoy her present till circumstances took a repulsive turn again. Deciding it was time to go to her 'special place' and meet with her friends for breakfast, she got up, smoothened the miniscule wrinkles that had formed on the bed sheet where she'd been sitting and surveyed the left side of the large room (which she occupied) – everything, ranging from the furniture to the books had been displayed in perfect decorum and- a minute inconsistency caught her sharp gaze. She paced towards her desk and gave a little push to a few books till they were in militaristic alignment. Cataleya sighed from behind her. "Lykke-! That's why I NEVER invite you to my room!"

A calm reply answered. "Even if you did, I would never come."

The brunette blew up and pouted "Jeez, that's harsh!"

Lykke turned and grinned at her. "Kidding, Cat, kidding." Although, she was dead serious.

The brunette stuck a tongue out at her and both females proceeded to exit the room, Cataleya lifting up the divider curtain which was placed as a barricade (by Lykke) to equally split the rooms and provide minimal contact between the roommates. "Err . . . ." started the young teacher uncertainly "You might wanna close your eyes. Ayumu's room is cleaner than my one but . . ." The redhead nodded, not looking surprised in the least and even with closed eyes, managed to walk to the closed door, open the latch and walk out into the corridors – only then did she open her vibrant orbs.

"Your sensory perceptions – further proof you're like a cat" commented Cataleya, shaking her head. Perking up, she gave a small pat on the redhead's shoulder (making her unnoticeably flinch) and exclaimed "Gotta go now!" Gushing romantically, she blushed "I promised to join Clyde for breakfast today – maybe our relationship will finally take a new angle!" Bursting with enthusiasm, she skipped happily to the west and waved at Lykke "See ya in English class, Lykke!" The 17-year old watched with a sweat-dropping expression, feeling slight sympathy for her friend – she wondered if she should tell her that her older brother actually did not 'swing that way.' _'Ah, well'_ in the end, she decided not to bother too much about it and made way towards her destination for breakfast. _'It'll be better anyway if he's the one to tell her. And Cat's pretty, she'll easily get another man . . . . .'_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Stone-"

"You'll lose."

"-Paper-"

"Kurumi's TELLING you'll lose."

"JUST SHUT THE F-ING HELL UP AND PLAY!"

"Be respectful to your God" her cold voice struck, reverberating with minor echoes as a result of the large helmet fitted around her head.

"AH!" Q squealed in pain as he felt a sharp yet minute jolt of electricity course through his right arm. He glared harshly at the young girl, dual-coloured eyes gleaming viciously from beneath the ebony bangs. "YOU B."

The duo occupied one of the several benches that were horizontally arranged on the terrace of the Gothic school, pale sunlight streaming over their childlike forms. Kurumi sat on the left edge of the wooden bench, her thin, pallid legs folded beneath her skinny frame while Q was on the right side, his short legs slightly dangling from the height. Narrow observation would make people squeal "Awwwww, those elementary kids are so cute!" But on further inspection, you could sense the 'cute elementary kids' emanating vicious auras which would make a serial killer shit rainbows.

But the most confusing thing was . . . . . . they had a thick slice of Danish chocolate cake placed between them. And it glowed with the holy sacredness that is visible with idols placed in religious institutions.

"Stone, Paper-" Both competitors readied their fists behind their backs.

"-SCISSORS!" They pulled out their fists at the same time and Q groaned, placing his hands in his folded palms. He'd lost. For the 51st time, he'd lost to Kirigaya in stone, paper, scissors. And rubbing her win in his face, Kurumi picked up the slice with her long fingers and within seconds, it had disappeared somewhere in a cavern beneath the ominous mask.

"YOU S!" Q burst out, jumping from the bench and pointing an accusing finger at her. "You must've . . . YOU MUST'VE CHEATED!" The full effect that he had just lost the coveted Danish cake to his number one rival had currently hit him hard in the face. He angrily stomped his feet and exclaimed "NO one can win continuously so many times!"

"Kurumi doesn't need to cheat to compete with plebeians like you" Kurumi stated icily in her deadpan, now beginning to munch on a bag of cheese nachos. "Kurumi merely calculated the probability of your moves with stone dominating the highest frequency of 47 out of a 100 times. This happened because you fixate yourself on the first objective and-"

"Shut up, already" he grumbled moodily, unwrapping a bar of caramel chocolate and taking a large bite. "I didn't come here for a-OUCH!" He hissed again, as a sharper jolt coursed through his ears. "THAT F-ING HURT, YOU SLIMY B!"

"DON'T. INTERRUPT. GOD." Her monotone had dropped to a colder octave – which was succeeded by the sound of teeth munching on crunchy nachos.

"GOD MY A-OWWWWWW!"

"Since you like to talk about your derriere so much, Kurumi shall reward you with a pleasurable tinge to it." And then, she added two consecutive sets of low voltage jolts to follow the first twinge on his behind. Q was beginning to feel a certain feeling flood him, particularly flushing blood in his lower regions – digging his painted nails in his palm, he willed the feeling to fade but the spasms he'd suffered on his 'derriere' had began a series of hormonal stimulations in him, which was lifting his body temperature to normal than higher levels.

' _Ah damn, not this. NOT IN FRONT OF HER!'_ He turned his body around to face away and clenched his thighs together, trying to look as discreet as possible – which was an impossible feat before a 600-IQ genius.

"Kurumi knows you're feeling arousal in your lower reproductive system" she stated nonchalantly, her sentence punctuated by munches of nachos in between. "The tightening of your Sartorius and Adductor Longus muscles, surge in bodily heat, reddening of cheeks due to sudden haemoglobin accumulation and conscious decision to turn away are all blatant signs."

If it'd not been utterly useless and fatal, he would've punched her through her hulking helmet. "I will kill you someday" he grumbled lowly, the haemoglobin accumulation reaching new records for him – but fortunately, the blood seemed to be transferring away from his nether regions to his cheeks.

"That is a delusion because Kurumi is invincible." The statement was declared with unflappable conviction – a usual statement for the petite girl. After all, she was, one of Mami's strongest 'Champions'; and one with frightening powers to boot.

Q snorted – he was, after all, one of the strongest too and maybe, one of the few people to rival the other four in the whole school . . . . . .

As he contemplated such thoughts, the door to the roof was keyed open but none of the two made any signs of apprehension – excluding them, there was only one student who had unlimited roof access after all.

"I got snacks" Lykke smiled, stepping into the lovely sunlight, her crimson hair glistening with brilliance. She had an immaculately dressed appearance with an oversized scoop-necked sweater hanging on her torso and black skinny jeans wrapped snugly around her toned legs and a black half-skirt which reached somewhere around her mid-thighs. Her laced-up, steel-toed, heeled black boots were well-matched with the fancy choker around her neck, giving her a semi-grunge appearance. She placed several large zip-up bags on the bench and watched as Q snatched the ones with the colourful gummy bears and crammed several into his mouth.

"You and Q must buy clothes from the same place" said Kurumi, zipping open a pack of cheese fries – the short boy had to agree that he and the taller redhead shared similar fashion sense. A turquoise varsity jacket half-covered the graphic T-shirt he donned and a plaid sarong was wrapped around his own pair of jeans. Hiking boots reached to the middle of his shins and his signature panda-face cap was, as always, set just above his black bangs. "Even Kurumi cannot say who wins the award for the most ridiculous head wear" she quipped blankly, referring to his beloved cap and Lykke's bowler hat, which would be normal enough if there was not a yellow smiley stuck to it – one with fanged teeth dripping blood.

"I'd award it to you, K" Lykke replied, showing a subtle grin upon her pretty face as she sat in the middle, taking two of the zip up bags for herself, ones which contained an assortment of pretty cookies. "You would put any fictional villain to shame with your elaborate mask." She began chewing on her cookie, her pink lips moving with precise grace even during the activity of eating, when humans are supposed to be at their instinctual worst.

"This helmet is a restriction on God's powers which is too powerful for heathens of this world to endure" she coldly replied, the packet of cheese fries half-empty.

"Well, I survived a battle with _God"_ Q snapped waspishly, getting tired of the abject narcissism – it was justified but annoying. He was rewarded with another volt, this one higher than the others but it only left a minor scald on his left arm which he replaced with a fresh layer of skin that matched the original paleness of his skin. He was satisfied. That meant he was getting better at controlling his 'Essence.'

And he was also satisfied that he did not utter any sound at the attack. Kurumi soon lost interest in the other two and concentrated on a packet of spicy nachos. As the trio quietly receded into a silent breakfast, the shortest member spoke up. "Kurumi is sure that the two of you have not seen the new student."

"New student?" asked the dark-haired boy, his mouth filled with gummy bears. Lykke shot him a secret, disgusted look from the corner of her eye. He chewed down the rest and mumbled "Great, another f-ing bother to bear. Mami needs to take a break and stop accepting every stupid stray she comes upon." The words were wincing but the three teenagers were too hardened to be hurt by them.

"She's not a stray" supplied the masked girl, her face hidden behind the hulking appendage. "She's a normal human, an excellent student from the revered Goethals Academy."

At the statement, two pairs of orbs widened. Jumping to his feet, Q exclaimed harshly "A NORMAL STUDENT?!" He started pacing back and forth, fingers scratching the back of his neck in frantic movements. "A normal student . . . . . what the f is that old hag thinking?! To bring a normal girl in here . . . ." He momentarily stopped in front of a nonchalant Kurumi and guttered "Did she say WHY she got the brilliant idea to do something so stupid?!"

Swinging her bare feet back and forth, the petite girl dead-toned "Madeleine Kasner is here on a summer assignment for a month."

Lykke's lips turned into a thin line. _Kasner . . . So it is Vivi's classmate . . . . ._

As a cool draft began to blow, her silky, long crimson locks flew like thin ribbons, dancing against her slender figure. "Madeleine Kasner" she whispered in a soft voice.

"I wonder . . . . . . . what are you like?"

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Aran walked into the cafeteria after having dropped the annoying blonde into Mami's office. According to his checklist, she was in the 'good group' but he wasn't really looking for friends at the moment since the three who stuck to him were quite a handful and tired him out on a daily basis. The place was half-full, like every other morning, with fragmented groups occupying the tables while there were quite a few who sat alone, poking at their food. Once, he had been in the same league but after a periwinkle-haired boy had forcefully befriended him, he had begun to have some friends.

However, unlike other mornings, said friends were currently not here.

Aran walked up to the counter for breakfast, smiling minutely at Karios, an aged man as ancient as the Alps, who gave him a toothless grin before handing out a plate of the day's breakfast; pea and bacon soup with three pieces of garlic bread, a fried egg and a glass of orange juice. Aran gave a small smile and whispered a "Thaaaaaank youuuuu" before accepting it and walking away to find a seat – he was a little happy that he did not have to make use of his checklist for the interaction. That meant he was getting closer to Erin's dream.

As Aran scouted the area for a suitable seat, thanking Lord Satan for the peace and quiet he got so rarely since he befriended certain three people, he felt a large thump on his back. "Arry!" a warm voice, showcasing apparent friendliness on the owner's part, accompanied the thump – the Danish boy sighed. Gone was the peace. "You know, Tommy has gone missing since morning, that motherfucking son of a bitch!" His loud curse made quite a few heads turn their way but they looked away after a short while, realizing it was old Jamie Whilhelmsson – with his periwinkle hair fluttering in both directions like an Angel's wings and bright, bubbly lavender eyes. Aran stared at the much shorter guy with a blank expression as he continued blabbering "Goddamn that little shit, FUCK IT!" However, realizing the weight of the cusses he'd just screamed, his left eye twitched twice and he rolled his head one time. "Oh God, I did not mean to be THAT rude."

"I knoooooowwww it's your Tou-retttessss" the viridian-haired male spoke in his signature drawl, walking towards a bench in the corner – but he was dragged away by the much shorter male to a place right in the centre of the cafeteria.

"Dang it, you anti-social pri-Arry" his left eye twitched twice again followed by the head roll as he sprawled on a chair and the Danish male was forced to follow with a suppressed sigh. "Dude, it has been six months already! You must always take the center seat because this way, people will look at you more and think you are more awesome!"

"I doooooonn't think I actually want peoooppplleee looking at meeeeee . . ." but his quiet statement was drowned out by loud and incessant chatter.

"Anyways, did you know that Lady Gaga sometimes stripped in the center of her school cafeteria?!" he sputtered, his tongue moving at Shinkansen speed. "I mean, wow, look where it got her today! That shitty little slut-I didn't mean that – can get off even wearing a meat dress in public! And" he momentarily stopped chewing his gum, which he'd been doing all this time, and ripped a watermelon flavoured packet from his blazer's pocket and offered it to Aran. "Want some?"

He shook his head. "I'm eaaaattttiiiinggg breakfast . . . . . ." And to prove his point, he took in a spoonful of his pea soup.

"Oh, fucking shit man, I forgot about breakfast! Dude, you should have reminded me before!" Jamie shot before jumping out of his seat and skipping to the cafeteria where he chatted with Karios, mixing in his weird gestures. Aran desperately wished that the old man would keep the energetic lad there for half an hour but as he sank into the feeling of temporary silence again . . . . .

"Hey Arry, is that earthworm blood paste you're eating?"

He clenched his fists so hard that the spoon broke.

"Morning Dead, you dirty little bitch!" Jamie cried, offering a hi-five to the tall woman who sat on the opposite side of Aran – she raised her long arm and without turning, let their palms meet. The young woman was very tall and blessed with a developed chest, her silver hair long and wild, flowing unrestrained down her shoulders. With eyes a blistering golden, she always had a incisive gaze people found rather unnerving.

The ivory-skinned female turned her head towards Jamie's plate as he took a seat beside her. "Shortie, you're eating earthworm blood paste too?" she cocked her head.

"I am not short, you cunt!" he cried, jerking his shoulders up and down. "You are the one who is freakishly tall, skyscraper!"

"You're only 5'4', Jerry" she calmly stated, taking a piece of garlic bread from Aran's plate, who was beginning to feel exasperated.

"You are even taller than Aran, Amazon! FUCK IT!"

"Thank you, Jerry."

"Jamie, I'm Jamie, you pussy-licker! And that was not a compliment!"

"I know you're Jamie but you're short like Jerry the mouse so Jerry it is."

"YOU-"

"I think you guys are forgetting about Tommy" Aran intervened, voice faster and louder this time and both heads turned to him, one shocked and one just raising an eyebrow. The boy had taken the last swig of his orange juice by the time he'd got their attention.

"Oh shit, Tommy!" Jamie cried, jerking his shoulders again. "He has not even eaten breakfast!"

"Tom is lost?" Dead asked, silently taking the orange juice of the guy beside her and downing it. "Did you trap him somewhere, Jerry, for taking your cheese?"

"No, I fucking did not!"

"I think we should look for him" Aran said, standing up. He just had a brilliant idea – he would separate from the two of them somewhere in the large school and relax the half an hour he had left before classes started. He couldn't help smirking a little – he was a genius.

"Holy Mother of Gum, Arry is smiling!" Jamie gasped.

"Amen. The world is ending." Dead made the symbol of a cross with her fingers.

His smirk faded. "Let's gooooo . . . ." he mumbled, standing up and walking towards the door of the room. Jamie reached for his orange glass to take a quick swig – only to find it empty and drop-less.

"DEAAAAAAADDDDD!" he screamed, rushing after his two friends – the silver-haired female not even turning back to acknowledge his fuming figure. As the three exited, bickering amongst themselves, Robin, Garrick and Ayumu entered, somehow mirroring the bickering of the exiting group.

"Why don'ch you just, na, make things up withhe?!" the tall brunette was shouting at Robin, looking pretty irked from the events that had folded earlier. Garrick made sure to stay between the two of them, in case they let fists fly, but Robin looked too pissed to even pay attention to them, as he stomped ahead, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his baggy jeans, throwing off an aura that made people scoot their chairs away from him. Garrick wondered if Ayumu was too dense to notice it or if she was just ignoring it but even then, he couldn't do much, currently. Every time his best friend met Aria Rivers, his mood took a large dip.

"Yuu" he softly stated, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder who gave him a confused glance, looking a little miffed to be interrupted during her ramble. He gave her an awkward smile before shaking his head and gesturing towards their hunching friend, who looked like he was ready to punch the shit out of anything. Ayumu tilted her head, staring at him through her shiny jade eyes before a huge grin split her face and she excitedly nodded.

"You're right, kiddo! I shouldn't lecture him to improve things!" Garrick bobbed his head and smiled, thankful she'd understood quickly this time. "I shood tell 'im to challenge her to a Berzerk Match on the upcomin' Sports Day!" She gave two painful claps on the still nodding boy's shoulder and cried "You a genius, Garry!" It was only after she'd rushed after a grumbling Robin, who'd reached the cafeteria, did the bespectacled male realize the gravity of her words.

 _A-A BERSERK MATCH?! Robin and Aria?!_ He reached out a hand but before he could rush after the excited Ayumu, he felt a friendly tap on his shoulder.

"Good morning, Garry!" chimed a high-pitched voice, belonging to a tall girl blessed with an eye-candy appearance, with her sunset-coloured hair and peach eyes.

"Good morning, Garrick" mirrored her companion, a shorter female who, in contrast to the other's exotic splendour, was a classic beauty with pale skin, tumbling lavender hair, an emotionless demeanour and a placid gaze.

"Oh, Lena, Rayne." He greeted back, trying to smile his best – from the corner of his gaze, he could already see that Ayumu was exclaiming something to an interested Robin. _We're doomed._ "Monin'."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Madeleine puffed and panted, totally out of breath, as she skidded to a stop in front of the cafeteria and its large, open double doors which showcased murmuring activity and thriving social circles inside. _(I need exercise, man)._ Fixing her hair and wiping away the faint droplets of perspiration on her brow, she fixed the expression on her face with the help of a hand mirror in her bag to one of approachable friendliness and taking in a deep, self-calming breath, walked in, ready to face the big stage. _(School cafeteria – the epitome of the school's social relations! Filled with merciless gangs, intense romances, passionate rivalries and garnished with the dose of food, THIS IS SURELY THE BIGGEST STAGE OF ONE'S SCHOOL LIFE! And I, Madeleine Kasner, SHALL CONQUER IT!)_

No sooner had she taken a step in, heads automatically whipped to her and she was bombarded with an onslaught of gazes – ranging from piercing to curious to admiring to angry. Suppressing the feeling of the imposing want to run away, the blonde kept her head held high and her footsteps steady as she smartly _(hopefully)_ walked to the breakfast counter, smiling genially at the _(olllllllldddddddd)_ man who returned her expression with a wrinkled one of his own. "Good morning" she enunciated in a louder volume than she normally used, deducing his lack of auditory capability owing to his enhanced age "I am Madeleine Kasner, a new student in this school and I'll be joining all of you from today. May I know your name?" She topped of the greeting with a polite, charming smile – fully aware of the effect it was having on some of the students in the cafeteria.

Ayumu stared at the pretty blonde girl from her table in the center of the room, a light blush adorning her warm-toned skin as the straw from her orange juice hung limply down her lips. "Woah, she's ka-yute!" she whispered rather loudly, earning a chuckle from Robin.

"Ain't she?" the boy muttered, eyes half-lidded and cheek pressed against his left palm as he poked at the strips of bacon. "I bet she could give the four beauty queens a run for their money." He smirked at the orange-haired girl who sat directly across him. "Ain't that right, Lena?"

"Huh?" the girl chirped in confusion, her sparkling eyes blinking before she threw her side braid over her shoulder in mock-narcissism. "I don't know about President, Captain or Raven but her beauty can surely not surpass mine!" she smirked playfully. "But" she got a cheerful smile on her face "she seems really nice!" Her best friend Rayne just sat beside her and continued eating her soup.

Garrick, while staring at the new girl, did not fully agree with his roommate's words. _She's very pretty,_ he asked, observing her from the mop of her blonde waves to the shiny white stilettos she wore. _But she ain't got a dime on Raven!_ He noted with a hint of pride.

Meanwhile, in a corner table in the cafeteria occupied by two (unnamed yet) figures . . . . .

"Ant, isn't she the new girl President told us about?!"

"Hnn."

"I wonder . . . . . what exactly was Mami's motivation to include her in school?"

Madeleine felt small beads of sweat break out on the back of her neck as she could hear the soft cacophony of whispers. The old man merely nodded his head at her and retreated, leaving her without an answer, before handing her a tray of breakfast. She stared at him blankly, waiting for an answer, but he replied with a mysterious, wrinkled smile of his own, not parting his dry lips to give her any sort of introduction. _(What the fuck . . . . IS THIS A SCHOOL FOR THE INSANE OR THE MUTE?! Yo, old man, you deaf or something?!)_

"~Kayos duzn't 'cknowledge foks til' he thinks ye're wordy of yer 'bilities.~" The next sentence was preceded by a low chuckle.

Immediately recognizing the voice, she turned around, trying to keep her shock – and fear – under composure. She largely succeeded. The girl from last night, with a tangled mess of tangerine hair that fully covered her right eye, stood behind her, hand on left hip, leaning to one side. _(What was this woman's freaking name?! It's on the fucking tip of my tongue but . . . uh . . . . er . . . . umm . . . . huh . . . . GYAAAAAHHH, I CAN'T FUCKING REMEMBER!)_ Giving the confused blonde a cool grin, she offered a hand and said:

"~Was hopin' ye'd 'member frum las' night but, ah well. I'm Aria. Aria Rivers. Family's frum Liverpool an' dats whah I talk lyk I do, yeah~?"

 **Review Replies:**

To Ghost132:

 **Everybody: *stare at Tala and slowly start to back away***

 **Robin: Like – WHAT THE HELL, WOMAN. Calm the fuck down.**

 **Yorra: Mes, Mez, Miz, Miss Tala QwQ . . . . . . .**

 **Mihai: She's weird! She's weird! *a beat* Nah, she's more scary! *a beat* WEIRD, I TELL YOU! *another beat* SCARYYYYYYYYY!**

 **Aria: Kiddos . . . . we should go . . . . .** _ **'Dammit, I can't even read her mind . . . everything is so chaotic' . . . . .**_

 **Garrick: . . . . . . I-I'mma noh too in de zoe. *sweat drops and discreetly starts sliding away from Tala***

 **?: What a tempting Amazon.**

To Lady Selphie-chan:

 **/ T-Thank you, Selphie-chan but seriously, you praise me too much. I'm not that good. ^w^; But thank you so much for the compliments – QwQ I really appre-appreciate them.**

 **Asriel: *kisses Nyx* My Angel doesn't need any median to express her perfection.**

 **Nyx: ^/^**

 **Eris: Blehh. Get a room you both. :P**

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **Luccu QwQ . . . . . Compliments make me cry . . . . . .**

 **And now, the workshop on insanity begins!**

 **Robin: *_* You my new bro. *fist bumps***

 **Garrick: TT-TT *cries in the emo corner***

 **Asriel: *nods proudly* I expected nothing less from my creator.**

 **Nyx: *sighs* :) Do you really expect him to have a 'normal' greenhouse?**

 **Eris: *shudders* Normal . . . . . anything related to that dude and the word 'normal' do NOT fit in the same sentence.**

 **Madeleine: . . . . . I know next-to-nothing.** _ **(AND SOMEBODY FUCKING TELL ME HOW ARE ALL THESE RANDOM STRANGERS READING MY MIND?!)**_

To AncientUnicorn:

 **?: CHEERS! *w* Can I get some new socks?**

 **Jamie: Dammit you bitch-I mean, Tom what is up with your sock obsession I mean gloves are way cooler oh, OH! Did you know that they're having a sale on jackets and I finally bought some mint gum. Want some?**

 **Tommy: ^_^; My roommate, everybody.**

 **FINALLY! QwQ SOMEBODY who thinks they have a cute relationship!**

 **Q: *growls* I wonder what fried unicorn tastes like!**

 **Haejin: *scribbles*** **'RUN! UNICORN, RUN!'**

 **Mihai: YAY! SOMEBODY LIKES ME! *a beat* You mean us, US! *another beat* YES, WE DO!**

 **They will come in time but before that B-) LOTS OF COMEDY AND ROMANCE!**

To CommanderAnth0n7:

 **We're going to see a huge-ass rocket!**

 **Madeleine: -_-; Who?**

 **Lemons, huh? Good question ;) I'll keep a poll for it someday.**

To Thedaffodilqueen:

 **Yorra: / A, Ah, Eh, Am I r-re-rea-really?**

 **Mihai: *glomps Yorra* Yes, you are! *a beat* YOU'RE ADORABLE, YOU'RE ADORABLE!**

 **Yorra: _ Can't . . . . . breathe . . . . .**

 **Aria: *picks Mihai up and settles him everywhere* ~Kid, we dun wan her quewtness to exploh eve'where~.**

To enarmonios:

 **Well, I am trying to be quick with this story, Ena-kun. But I got a little side-tracked due to exams this time, I guess.**

 **Madeleine: It is somewhat frustrating.**

 **Mami: *sips tea* Now, now, have you ever seen a story revealing everything in one episode?**

 **Garrick: *nods***

 **Aria: ~Foks are scahed uf de odd, young un. Been' different iz a disease.~**

 **Kurumi: Kurumi is God.**

 **Aran:** _ **A God who will die when I burst all the blood vessels in your body.**_

 **Romance has already started in bits and pieces but the action is close to. Looks like a lot of people are excited for tragedy to strike O_O I think I'm the only one who doesn't want to write those parts . . . . . . .**

 **Thanks for the kind words! :D**

To Lazersword88 (1):

 **Robin: You seem pretty cool. I can see we'll get along.**

 **Thanks for the publicity, Lazer-san! I appreciate it!**

 **Yorra: / F-F-FAV-FAVO-FAVOU-FAVOURITE?! I-I-I-I-I THAN-THANK YE, YO, YOU! /**

 **Yorra and Alice? O_O But really, thank you for your kind words and gentle criticism. I shall pay attention and heed to them. And about Gwen *whispers* I'm trying to hype up her arrival a little since she IS the . . . . . you know . . . . . . and she'll appear a little later (earliest at Ep. 8 and latest by Ep. 10) since she was the last character I received and had to add her to later sections of story planning. But she will get as much screen time as the other characters, don't you worry! :D**

 **Yeah, the OCs got the 'Essence' for a reason but that will be explained pretty later. But no, you're not missing any references since this IS the prequel and all.**

 **Thank you for both your reviews!**

To R.J. Niner:

 **Surprise, Pocky. XD I get the feeling too . . . . . .**

 **Q: I AIN'T A PSYCHOLOGICAL CASE FOR YOU TO ANALYSE, B.**

 **O_o; Q . . . . . . she's your creator . . . . . . .**

 **Haejin:** **'Q is nice enough when he's not grumpy.** **^_^;** **Which is 95% of the time.'**

 **Q: STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!**

 **Haejin: QwQ** **'S-Sorry . . . . . . .'**

 **And yup! You've got one dimension of his ability right! :D**

 **I think all of the OCs will be introduced by chapter 12 . . . . . Yup.**

 **Madeleine: I have been rendered speechless.** _ **(THESE PEOPLE ARE EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN THOSE LUNATICS!)**_

 **Ayumi: L-Like me?! I-I'm sorry . . . . I'm sorry liking me makes you sad! I'M REALLY SORRY I MADE YOU LIKE ME . . . . . I-I REALLY AM! TT-TT I'm the worst loser to ever be born on this world . . . . even liking me . . . . MAKES PEOPLE SAD! QwQ I should've-I should've just died those 47 times . . . . .**

 **Aria: *vomits* ~Dat iz . . . . utter blasphemy ta ev'n be touht! An' dat voice was . . . . ma ex . . . . Nylah . . . . . .**

 **Ayumu: 'Tis not fuhny! /**

 **Garrick: *looks away* E-E-E-Eh / . . . .**

 **Yes, I did keep that in my mind! :D Thanks, Pocky – do tell me about any other thing I can improve on! And thank you for your kind words! Also, for the exam wishes – you're very nice! ^_^**

To MookieBear:

 **That strangely satisfying moment when you diss someone :P I would give you props if both these songs were not MASSIVELY popular. (Yeah, me too. Actually, Not Gonna Die is the only song I've heard of Skillet XD Don't listen to rock too much)**

 **Oh, my innocent Little Mermaid :) For a 'special character' like Lykke, I have prepared an equally 'special punishment.'**

 **I think this is the first time I've seen so many words centred around a lollipop. X_D**

 **Haejin: :)** **'Don't worry, miss. She did no such thing. ^w^; She barely enters anybody else's room.'**

 **Sheesh, tea. Why can't you go and make coke or something? =w=**

 **Does hospital-phobia run in the family? ;-; And thanks for complimenting my story. QwQ I-I really appreciate it.**

 **HOW CAN YOU FORGET HER ALIAS?! TT-TT Your mother is cruel, Lykke!**

 **Mihai: She's cruel! Very cruel! Very cruel!**

 **Garrick: Uh . . . . . uhm . . . . . /; I-Iz easy ta spit but I c-cunt jus like dat . . . . . .**

 **Mookie, Mookie, Mookie. *sigh* LOVE IS AN EMOTION WHICH CAN NEVER BE REMOVED! LOVE IS THE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS US ALL! *w* LOVE IS . . . . UNBEATABLE!**

 **Madeleine: Calm down.**

 **Ayumu: ;D They don't call me 'Mama Bear' for nothing! I can melt any cute girl's heart! . . . . I-I DIDN'T MEAN IT IN DAT WAY! I-I meant . . . girls like me! . . . NO, NO, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT! It's just . . . it's just . . . oh God, I'm a mess . . . . QwQ**

 **Yes, thank you for the criticism! :D I kept that in mind this chapter! Please do tell me if you have any more suggestions in mind! I'll do my best to improve! -_-; The speech patterns took out a lot of me – THE RESEARCH I HAD TO DO!**

 **;P That fight is gonna take some more chapters to ensue. And I guess I have to ask Lykke -_-; She ignores both like they're the plague . . . .**

 **Your Bubba always had the fire! ;) She is, after all, the Harem Queen!**

 **Start preparing for my next SYOC then!**

 **Madeleine: There is actually nothing to be worried about. She will never harm you.**

 **OIIIII, YOU BACKSTABBER! Calling me super-human is an insult - :D I'M THE HAREM QUEEN!**

To Koreijustu-shi:

 **I understand how this feels to you since every writer has their own taste in how a story should be told, what should it tell etc. And I thank you for the criticism but I will try my best to manage my stories and despite not releasing 10 chapters a month, I'm doing comparatively well. I have currently two SYOC stories and the total number of OCs I'm working with is 55. Thank you for the review but I will, somehow, handle my stories and not leave this site till all of them are complete. I am trying to make all OCs equally important and there're the exemplary ones who get special treatment but every character shines. :) I promise you this.**

To BlackJack77:

 **XD I assure you, I like Garrick too much to get him 'raped.' But of course, I can't tell about the other things . . . . . .**

 **Yes, yes, that is not until after Ep. 20. So enjoy your virginity as long as you can. (He he. Kidding. Kidding. Maybe)**

 **Ayumu: Don't worry, Garri! :D As your mama, I'll never let a scratch come on you!**

 **Garrick: QwQ Yuu . . . . . . .**

 **Q: I was not born to please you, d. =w=**

 **Aria and Robin: NO.**

 **Yorra: / T-Tha-Thank-Thank you. Ye, yo, yu, you all are v-ve-ve-ve-very-very kind.**

 **Aria: *stares weirdly at Jack***

 **Mihai: Thank you, we love our sense of fashion! We do! We do! :D**

 **Ayumu, Robin and Lena: NO, GARRI, YOU SHALL NOT!**

 **Nyx: ;) That is not all I have under my sleeves, cutie.**

 **Asriel: +^+ *glares at Jack***

 **Madeleine: ^_^ Then kindly stop reading them.** _ **(I DON'T CARE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT YOUR OPINION!)**_

 **Robin: Be a man and just confess!**

 **Garrick: Ye did'at an got splayed. OwO**

 **Robin: -_- FUCK YOU.**

 **Lykke: *mumbles under her breath* Ashworth . . . . . please . . . . . don't like me . . . . . you'll only get . . . . .**

 **Ayumu: Hey, now, I love all ma ol' kids 'qually. Iz jus' dat . . . . Rob is a lil' . . . . /**

 **Garrick: ;) Special?**

 **Ayumu: GARRRRRRIIIII! / SHUT UP!**

 **Robin: I APOLOGIZED!**

 **Garrick: . . . . . I almost died. -_-**

 **Robin: I'm sorry!**

 **Thanks, Jack-kun! :D Lovely and long review!**

To Lazersword88 (2):

 **Garrick: :) Am honoured ye dink uf me so high.**

 **Yorra: O/O Ye, Yo, Yu, You must b-b-b-b-be exa-exag-g-g-ge-ger-a-t-ti-ti-ting!**

 **Madeleine: That is . . . . . pleasing to here.** _ **(Do I LOOK like I give a fuck about you?!)**_

 **Thank you for the compliments – and Gwen is gonna be mentioned a lot more mainly because I am planning a 'grand' entrance for her (in a way). I am trying something a little dark and mysterious for this story while still keeping some typical school elements and humour. Madeleine is a total hypocrite – always wanted to use a character like her. XD**

 **Robin and Nicu, huh? Well, the focus is going to be shifting from episode to episode but I will definitely try my best bring out their characters more! Not only them, I shall do my best with everyone!**

 **Ah, yes, I went overboard with the descriptions. / I'm deeply sorry but I am working on weaving them in naturally with everything else. Given some time, I shall definitely improve.**

 **He he, the monsters are not actually the focal point of the whole story. ^w^; You see, if the OCs start getting their powers now . . . . . they will actually not have enough experience or practice to defeat the 'real villains' of the story. But everything will be explained in time.**

 **I'm sorry but Gwen will be the second last character to appear. Though I think with the speed I'm planning to update, she'll appear before the end of May.**

 **When all the readers meet her, they'll find it hilarious too. And relating to Madeleine . . . . XD You must wait.**

 **Madeleine: Who are they?** _ **(OH MY GOD! WHAT A HOT GUY!)**_

 **Aria: ~De big chick an' de tall la' ah quite pop'lah~.**

 **Nicu: *w* Ne, it's Phil! The Fencing King! The Fencing King!**

 **Robin: Sharp, WHEN THE FUCK DID YOU GET BACK?! And who's your hot female fri-AGHHH!**

 **Ayumu: *holds Robin's ear* =w= BAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD boy.**

 **Garrick: ^w^; I'mma sorry for der a'tions . . . . . . .**

 **Thank you very much, Lazer-san!**

To Aviator Capi:

 **Ah, Capi-san, you're praising me too much! :D I need to get better and better but thank you for your kind words! QwQ They're deeply encouraging!**

To Eko-Sama (XD Oi, reading this in Heaven?):

 **Is Aria and Garrick's accent rubbing off on you or something? :) Thanks for taking out the time to review, though, I appreciate it a lot. And nah, you're not trash. XP You're futa. (Kiddin', kiddin')**

 **And I'm glad because I was able to read all of that slur! +^+ And grow some balls!**

 **Go, go, play 'Shopping, shopping' and 'tea party' you little girl! Oh, and send me some muffins!**

 **. . . . . QwQ You lucky bitch. TEACH ME SOME OF THOSE TECHNIQUES!**

 **Aran: *gives a tight smile before looking at his checklist* *smile loosens minutely* Yes, as you wish. *bows rigidly***

 **Aria: ~I'd rather ye didn't say it.~**

 **Yorra: O/O Y-Y-Yo-Yu-You . . . . . l-l-l-l-l-love m- *faints***

 **Madeleine: EXCUSE ME?!** _ **(GET THIS PERVERT AWAY FROM ME!)**_

To PotatoInUrFace:

 **But the fact that you give such heart-warming reviews is incredibly kind! QwQ Thank you!**

 **Cthulhu and his friends are definitely gonna be summoned but the sad parts are all for later! :D Well, you're wrong with the 'lower room number' thing (It seems like an extremely cool idea though! *w* Sad Mami was too lazy to implement it -_-) but you're definitely right about your other gander! XD That's what I said to Ancient Unicorn.**

 **Q: WHAT?! You stupid, f-ing Potato . . . I'M GONNA SLICE YOU UP AND FRY YOU IN SUCH THIN SLICES NOBODY'S GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU ANYMORE!**

 **Haejin:** **'Umm . . . . . sorry to rain on your parade but I'm straight.** **O_O;** **And MINERALS?! Like . . . . how did you even get the idea?!'**

 **But good job . . . . you're on the right track with the latter choice!**

 **Robin and Aria: Don't/Dun wanna talk 'bout it.**

 **Eris: YE DARNED VEGETABLE! HOW DARE YE BE SO IMPUDENT?!**

 **Nyx: Eris. -_- However, Mr. Potato, you have narrowed down my ability to too specific a choice.**

 **Mihai: I KNOW! RIGHT! RIGHT! Thank you, Potato! We like you! We like you! Can we eat you? Can we? Can we?**

 **Thank you for the kind reviews, Potato-san! QwQ You're the best potato I've ever met!**


	6. Ep4 - rAnDoMnEsS iS a BlEsSiNg

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **Mihai: Ne, is everybody excited for this chapter?! Of course, of course, all of you are! We are Mihai Nicolae Florescu reporting for the preface of our 'Q &A' sessions. Wanna know what it is? We'll say, we'll say!**

 **Basically . . . . .**

 **It's a mini omake where we choose a random question asked by one (or some) of the reviewers and address – or try to answer – it! Understand, understand?! So, everyone, you wanna know what the first question is?! Next episode, next episode! :D**

 **P.S: I know this chapter is of an average length in reality but compared to most of my stories, it feels RIDICULOUSLY short . . . . .**

 **~ Ep. 4 – rAnDoMnEsS iS a BlEsSiNg ~**

"Looks like the summers are gonna be warmer this year" Mami softly mumbled, watching intently with her dark eyes as the soft, lush grass on the school lawns swayed gently with the wind. When the door of her office room closed behind her, she uttered louder, without turning around "Isn't that right, Nyx?"

"You scare me with your observant tact at times, Mami" replied the short President as she walked towards the bent, sagely figure, large gladiator heels creating firm thuds against the granite floor as she walked. The long ringlets of her wine-shaded hair fluttered weakly with the light breeze that flowed into the room through the open windows, an accompaniment of the pale sunlight. "I take it you are already aware of the reason I am here?"

A small smile appeared on Olga Dmietrievna's wrinkled face. "I see you're slightly on edge" she stated airily causing a minor frown to erupt on the seventeen year old's face – no matter how composed she remained, the old matriarch would always see through her. Then, throwing a knowing glance to the closed doors, Mami asserted in a loud enough voice "Did you almost get hurt, Eris?"

"SHIT, SHE KNOWS!" the pixie-haired girl outside the room immediately jumped away from the door she had an eavesdropping ear pressed against and took a defensive stance, highly disappointed she'd been caught . . . . . yet again.

"I told you it's no use, Eris" Asriel murmured, leaning against the adjacent wall with his arms crossed, still lost deep in thought about the encounter before – he was definite it'd been a girl's voice that had enunciated the raucous giggle – but it was no one from the school. At least, not anyone he recognized. He gritted his fists in anger and let out a slow exhale steam out of his pale lips, the transcending colours of his hair slowly fading into a deep black at the roots – just who had attacked them?! Eris, oblivious to his changing mood, leaned beside him and folded her hands behind her head, her expression slightly put off.

"Damn, jus' dinken 'boutit makes me won to break de bitch's skull op'n!" she gritted in frustration, referring to the mystery female and lightly crashed the back of her head against the wall. The action shook Asriel out of his stupor and her next question had broken him out of his slowly unfolding rage. "Oi, Az" she grumbled, turning her burning eyes towards him – the first time he'd seen that fiery gaze, he'd flinched from a fleeting fear. But not anymore, since under the thick wall of anger, lay a tentative hand of friendship flung towards him. "Wha do ye think dat Mami 'ways callz Nyx in an' not us?"

The tall male had a fair idea but currently, it was unnecessary for Eris to be involved in it. "Who knows . . . ." he loudly sighed with curiosity, staring at the ceiling, his hair back to its flickering shades of ebony, crimson, emerald and ivory.

Eris stared at her clenched fist, wishing to penetrate to the callused skin that lay under the leather glove with her severe glare. "I wan her ta haf a lil' feth in us too . . . . ." her wish was extremely quiet, a marked contrast to her usual confident roars. Asriel, however, had heard clearly and stared at her from the corner of his deep black eye – he knew, that no matter how hard he tried, the old matriarch would never trust _him_ again . . . . . .

Meanwhile, inside the office-

"They think you don't trust them, Mami" Nyx spoke, tracing a loose button on her cheongsam, on the verge of falling off. Mami was reading the contents of the letter intently, her pince-nez perched a little crookedly on her beaked nose but it did not affect the power bestowed to her eyes. After a few minutes had lapsed, she quietly folded the letter to a neat half-fold and unlocked the lowermost drawer in her mahogany desk, placing the object inside it where it snuggled against various other paraphernalia. After locking it, she stood up and straightened herself.

"Eris is too young" she made sure to whisper in a tone of voice which would reverberate clear to the girl in the room and echo only as a silent wind to anyone who traipsed outside it. "And explosive" she added decidedly which made Nyx offer a sad smile – her sister had a kind heart but very few people ever broke through her ridged shell to experience it. Removing her pince-nez, she placed them in a velvet box and looked at the seventeen-year old with critical eyes. "And you know Asriel, Nyx" she mumbled, an ominous tension rising in the room as the young lady stiffened, unable to answer.

"The demon that resides within him . . . ."

" _GIVE ME YOUR BODY!"_

"I won't let it happen again!" she suddenly burst, her hands tightening and Mami continued staring at her, unflinching and expectant at the reaction, making the President stare at the floor, feeling ashamed at her words before biting her lip to gain back her composure. Looking up with determined eyes, the mauve and amber in them shining wilfully, she continued "I won't let an incident like that happen again, Mami. I will . . . . . protect him. I will not . . ." she bit her tongue, trying to forbid ghosts of the past from leaking down her cheeks. "I will not let him be . . ." but they were persistent – and Mami watched as two fat teardrops stained the olive of her skin. ". . . . . taken over again."

The old matriarch could not let her face remain set in steel forever – she offered only the slightest of a smile and walked over to the vulnerable girl, letting her wrinkled fingers wipe away the tears that dotted her face. "Sometimes" she started, catching the attention of Nyx – the Nyx who put up a strong front before the other students as the Queen Bee of the school, now silently sobbing. "I wonder if I made a mistake . . . . asking you to watch over him." Her expression turned frightened and Mami shook her head, continuing with her statement. "But one day, I realized" she whispered, lost in fleeting moments she had experienced as an outsider "How happy he was, with you and Eris and the triplets. And it was then that I knew . . . . . it was one of the best things I'd ever done."

Nyx furiously tried to wipe away her tears with her arm but failed. "M-Mami-" she hiccupped, her voice catching in her throat.

"Now, Nyx" she gently uttered, placing both hands on her shoulders "You are the biggest authority here behind me and the teachers, the one I have chosen from all my children to lead the others, to guide them." She stared back at Mami, firming her expression and willing the tears to stop, _forcing_ them to stop. "I need you to be strong, Nyx – for your sisters, for the other children, for Asriel. I need you to be strong and take care of everyone." She let go as the heterochromiac had regained her poise and was dabbing away at the wet stains with sanitary tissues.

"I know, Mami" she replied, her voice clear and confident, holding the pride she symbolized as the school President. "And I promise that I shall not disappoint you."

The elderly Director smirked. "I am fully aware of the fact." She gestured the girl to leave. "You're dismissed – otherwise, you'll miss classes. And remember, Nyx" she added, just as the girl turned around to leave "The event that transpired and the contents of the letter should not reach the ears of the other students. Specially not . . . . . " Both their eyes narrowed as a specific person's image came to mind – of a young woman. A young woman with abnormally cold reptilian eyes.

"Will Gwen really come back?" the President murmured, her skin crawling with revolt even at the thought of the malicious smirk.

Mami remained silent.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As Nyx closed the door behind her, Eris immediately clung to the slightly taller girl's arm, pouting with an annoyed expression. "Wha do ye an' Mami 'ways haf yer secret talx? I an' Az feel so lef' out!" She beamed at the young man to support her. "Right, Azzy?"

The pale-skinned student returned her beam with a cheeky smile of his own, supplying "You were the only one who was eavesdropping, Erry."

Eris blew up, her face turning a poisonous purple before screaming "TRAITOR!" She proceeded to punch him in the arm but Asriel just held her back with a single hand pushed against her forehead, the furious girl's punches falling short as he was too tall for her. He giggled at her vain efforts.

Nyx smiled to herself as she watched them be engaged in childish play, smiles on their faces, eyes twinkling with happiness. Mami was right. They did not need to know about all the bad things.

Not yet.

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She stared at the crumbled bits of fried bacon which floated appetizingly on the surface of the viscous green broth – the aroma was amazing and her already drooling stomach was forced to the edge of ravenous starvation. She picked up her spoon with dainty fingers – but before the polished silverware could dip into the warm liquid, a giggly voice spoke up.

"Can we touch your hair? Of course we can, of course we can! Right?" Those glistening honey eyes had creeped (the shit out of) her the first time she'd caught them staring from the insignificant corner in the large cafeteria, his cute face unreadable as he took in her taller figure, trailing after Aria to the table. The kid was definitely a young and immature one, filled with eccentricity which was apparent in his old Victorian dress up (seriously . . . . a dark frockcoat?) but then again, no one here was normal. Not fully, anyway. He swung his legs back and forth as they were slightly above the floor and stared at her, curious face cupped in his pale hands. Waiting for an answer.

"Of course" she smiled brightly at him – kids loved her. That had been apparent on the day she'd gone from Goethals to perform at an elementary school in Darwin, Australia and the little ones (annoying twits) there had clung to her like leeches, playing with her hair, poking her round cheeks and all the (shitty) stuff kids did. However, his reaction was quite contrary to what she'd expected – instead of grinning back with a huge beam on his face (creepiness aside, he was EXTREMELY adorable) his pupils seemed to shrink a little and in the end, he did not reach out a small hand to trail through her locks, after all.

"Turn a blin' year ta thee la'" Aria mumbled, sipping on a glass of water – and it was then that the blonde noticed that her food plate was untouched. And Mihai, after gobbling down his own share of breakfast, was pulling his tray towards her as well – to which, the one-eyed girl replied with just picking up the glass of orange juice, letting him eat the rest of the meal. As he happily bit into the garlic bread, she turned her one-eyed gaze to Madeleine and mumbled "Linne, ri'? Wha' kinda barmy are YE?"

 _(The . . . . FUCK?!)_

"I beg your pardon?" she queried politely, pushing a loose tress of her golden hair behind her ear. That accent was . . . . . inconceivable would be the best way to describe it. But after all, she WAS from Liverpool so . . . . .

Before Aria could explain, Mihai, after a good licking of his fingers, chirruped "Want to know what she means?" The blonde found herself nodding like an idiot. "She means to say, what's your problem? Your problem?" He tilted his head, eyes deep in thought for a few seconds before they flashed open again and he exclaimed "We want to know too, right? Yup! Yup!"

"Yer reezun for bein' ear" Aria took over after a gulp of orange juice. "Ye mus' haf sum screw looze in ear, ri'?" She pointed to her brain and twisted her index finger.

 _(Unfortunately, I'm a perfectly normal, SANE human being. Not lo-)_

She immediately halted her thought process – if her hypothesis about the British girl being a cousin of Edward Cullen was right then she'd need to be careful. VERY careful.

And at the moment, as if in answer to her question, a very small smirk, barely discernible, flitted onto Aria's pale lips. Madeleine had to keep from gasping. The orange-haired girl raised a questioning eyebrow and asked "Why ye year, den?" Mihai too looked at her, his mouth filled with pea soup – and so did the last member in their quadruple, a small, mousy girl who till now, had refused to even greet or make eye contact with the blonde. However, Madeleine had already gotten a clear look at the brunette ages ago when she'd first walked to the table – she was fairly young, maybe around the same age as the lavender-haired kid and had red cheeks and choppy hazel hair. But there were two things wrong with her which were visible with physical manifestation.

First, visible chunks of her eyelashes were missing, the hair on her brows only in unruly fragments, clung to each other with desperation. _(Is it some kind of new trend? . . . . Nah, I read Cosmopolitan before coming here)._ But she shrugged it off as a careless mistake or an accident. Maybe she unintentionally shaved them off during threading? But there was a problem with that deduction as well. _(She's definitely not the fashionable girl though. After all, she's wearing . . .)_

A giraffe onsie.

A FREAKING onsie. The ones one and two-year old toddlers wear. And it was not a bunny or a cat one either – IT HAD A FUCKING GIRAFFE PRINT. Like, seriously. She had been mentally prepped but even HER brain was not prepared for THIS level of oddity. As cute as she was, the lassie needed a SERIOUS makeover – especially something to bring out her cute nose.

Aria suddenly chuckled out loud and Mihai chirped "What is it? We want to know too, we want to know too!" Yorra's emerald eyes blinked in confusion while Madeleine had to furiously fight back her fifty shades of embarrassed red. The orange-haired girl waved him off causing the petite boy to whine but he seemed to be hit with some realization for a moment as his expression momentarily blanked _(hmmmm . . .)_ – before it bounced back to normal and he regained the sparkle in his eyes.

Madeleine threw a glance at Aria, making sure it was not seen by her. _(This girl . . . . . .)_

Clearing her throat lightly, she replied to the still hanging question: "Actually, I am here as a representative from the advanced class of Goethals Academy on a summer assignment for an essay."

"Y-Y-You're from Go-Goth-Goed-Goethals?!" Her green eyes widened in surprise to finally hear the small Yorra utter a few words, no matter they were an incredibly soft exclamation. But her soft eyes were incredibly wide and admiring, looking at her with such incredible awe that the blonde felt a little guilty – she had often been looked up to by many of her peers but for some reason, Yorra Ryu's gaze was making her feel culpable and . . . . . bad.

 _(Oi, I'm not as great as your eyes speak . . . .)_

"You know about Goethals, Ms. Ryu?" she asked with slight surprise – the girl was an Asian and judging from her accent and appearance, hadn't been in Germany for a long time. She would put her to five years at most in the country. The brunette, on realizing that she was being spoken to, looked up with a squeak of acknowledgement and flushed cheeks, nervously poking at the yolk on her egg.

"Uh, umm, well, umm, uh, eh" she stuttered, watching as the pale yolk burst over the crispy garlic bread "I-i-i-it was, uh, kin, kyn, kend, kind of my dream school wen, wun, when I first came ta, ta, ta , to Germany." Madeleine watched as her shy smile slowly faded into a sad one and she continued, rather sorrowfully "H-However, I was, wus, wes, wes rej-rejec-jec-jected . . . . . . ."

 _Yor . . . . . .,_ Aria closed her eyes – and when she opened them again-

 _-she was not in the rumbling cafeteria. No, she sat in a very expensive and luxuriously decorated private office, staring at three figures just a little ahead of her – a raging young man, a vulture-like middle-aged female and . . . ._

 _Honestly, she was not surprised._

" _What do you mean she's not selected?!" The Asian male did share an uncanny resemblance to Yorra – both had a cute nose, the same lean build and the gaping jade eyes. "Yorra's grades are clearly above the acceptance rates – she's qualified in the top five percent of the examinees! She scored an overall of 94% in the entrance examinations!" His English was rather awkward but understandable._

 _None of them noticed Aria, of course. She was no more significant than the background painting of Hercules on the wall behind her._

 _Yorra did not look much different three years ago – except that she was even shorter and her hair was longer, tied into two loose braids. And of course, nobody could ignore the bald spots and scabs which graciously littered her arms – most of the skin had been covered with white wrappings but Aria KNEW they were there. She had seen them several times with her own eyes, after all._

" _Mr. Ryu" the woman spoke in a grinding, nasally voice and the Brit had decided she would ask Madeleine to introduce them one day so she could punch out her guts. "I am fully aware of Ms. Ryu's high grades and academic skills." Ryu Hyun-Shik's eyes screamed 'WHY THE FUCK DON'T YOU ACCEPT HER, THEN?' and Aria was honestly a bit surprised to see the usually goofy adult so angered – she would have a little mind-dabbling to do when she met him next. "But, if you must know, we do not accept mentally-challenged students."_

 _Yorra's tears fell down her cheeks._

 _Aria immediately got up and launched herself with a punch at the vulture but since this was only a fragmented moment of her roommate's memory, she fell through the figures like a ghostly spectre. As she sat with clenched fists on the expensively marbled floor, anger flaring through her in uncontrollable waves, Hyun pushed back his chair and shouted "But nothing is mentioned in your school guidelines! Besides, Yorra has never hurt anyone and her Trichotillomania is not a disorder which harms others!"_

" _I thought Asians were supposed to be smart, Mr. Ryu" the woman muttered, uncaring about the crying girl in front of her. "You're wrong about her Trichotillomania not harming others – granted, it does not make her physically violent, otherwise you would not even be allowed in through the school gates-" Aria aimed a dropkick at her breasts but as before, it was utterly useless as her leg merely fell through the figure and losing her balance, she fell on her butt. "However, it does harm the sanctity and image of our revered Goethals to take in someone like her."_

" _SHUT UP, YE FUCKIN' BLOODY BITCH!" Aria aimed multiple punches at her but they only flew through her head, striking through air._

" _YOU-" but Hyun was stopped by Yorra flinging out an arm and latching onto his wrist, her head shamefully lowered and her bangs flinging shadows over her eyes, hiding the painfully red irises. "Ra . . . . . ." he mumbled, staring at his sister sadly._

 _The demure girl quietly got up from her seat and bundling her admission papers and files in her small arms, bowed respectfully. "I-I-I-I'm terribly sor, sor, sorry for was-west-wes-wasting your time, M-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Miss Thard. Than, than, thenk, thank you for consi-consid-der-dering this m-meet-meeting." She turned around and began walking away – her older brother noticed and with an unwilling bow, followed her._

 _As Yorra closed the door behind her, the vulture shouted "You know, Ms. Ryu, if not for your psychological problems we would've accepted you without a second thought! Have a good night!"_

" _HA' DE FUCK IS SHE GUNNA HAF A GUD NIGH', YE AAZWHOLE?!" But before Aria could attempt to jump at her again, the image faded into blackness._

"Ar, Aria!"

"Ne, Ariri, did you have a vision? You did! You did! Tell us!"

"Ms. Rivers? Are you okay?"

Her left eye slowly opened – yes, she was back in the cafeteria. Where Yorra, Mihai and Madeleine were looking worriedly at her, though she couldn't really tell about the fourteen-year old boy. She tried to float into their minds but began to draw up a blank – pushing back her chair, she stood up and mumbled "Need ta be 'lone fur a whiy'." Then, she quickly walked away, her steps furious as she exited the cafeteria.

"Ooooooohhhh, did she something scary? I think she did, she did!" Mihai exclaimed, his golden eyes more excited than anxious.

Yorra stared after her friend worriedly and making up her mind, stood up from her place too, her food only half-finished. "Ex, ex, excuse me, Mes, Mes, Miss Kasner but I – I'llberightback!" She spoke fast and soft before whisking like lightning after the taller girl – Madeleine was so surprised by the turn of events that she did not notice Mihai polishing off the rest of the Asian's untouched food.

"You know, Maddy" his statement caught the attention of the sixteen-year old who stared at him. He smiled widely and said "Do we think you're trustworthy? Nope, we don't, we don't! Bye-Bye!" he playfully waved and was off too, skipping after his female seniors. Her jaw hinged open in shock as she stared after his small, retreating back, his azure frockcoat fluttering after him like an after-trail – and the blonde was left alone on her table, her soup long gone cold and the bacon pieces fully submerged to the bottom, hitting the depth of the glass bowl.

 _(THOSE. ASSHOLES. They just – THEY JUST LEFT ME HERE! ALL ALONE! . . . . I've never been so . . . . . HUMILIATED! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!)_

They had done it. After all the effort she'd put in, bearing with their eccentricities, humouring those loons, smiling politely while all she wanted to do was strangle their thin necks. And then they . . . they had the audacity to leave her like this! All alone, in an unfamiliar environment, teeming with psychotic monsters . . . . .

Madeleine almost gave a start when she felt two shadows loom over her.

"I thought the three of them would never leave!" a girly voice chirruped and what dominated her field of vision were long locks of crimson hair, styled into two childish twin tails tied together with bright yellow ribbons. A tall girl, one with sparkling cerulean eyes, stood in front of the blonde, smiling widely - for some reason, the redhead did not creep her out as much as the other students had.

But the white-haired boy who stood behind her, glaring with his dark green eyes, sure did.

"Umm, can I help you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and ogling with her widened emerald orbs. She desperately tried to ignore the stare of the young male, his spiky ivory locks frayed over his head like the needles of a porcupine.

"Oh my, we totally forgot to introduce ourselves!" she stared in horror before taking a seat on Aria's chair and the male quietly followed, plopping himself down next to the girl, where Mihai had been sitting. She was really pretty, Madeleine noted, with her sparkling eyes, long hair, sun-kissed skin and endearing smile. Offering a hand to the blonde, she said "Nice to meet you, I'm Atlas Wallin, the student council secretary and this is my older brother, Anton Wallin, the disciplinarian of the council!" She pointed an arm at the male who just gave a short nod to the blonde, his eyes brooding and piercing – she smiled at the both of them and shook Atlas' offered hand.

"I'm Madeleine Kasner, a transferee from Goethals Academy for a month on a summer assignment" she offered with her handshake – Atlas' palm was firm yet gentle and the blonde was slightly impressed. She seemed to be well-versed in her etiquette. _(Looks like there's SOME one decent in this place. At least, for the time being.)_

"We know!" Atlas smiled again _(This chick sure has a lot of energy pulling all those facial muscles)._ The answer should've surprised her but using her reasoning, she realized that it was not much of a big revelation – after all, it must've been the first time a sane student had arrived in their school, assignment or not. News spreads fast in every school, even if it's inhabited by screwed-in-the-head teens. "That's why, we want you to accompany us to the student council room!"

"Excuse me?" she slowly articulated, her smile slowly fading. _(FUCK. Isn't this what they ask in those horror movies, before they . . . . .)_

" _AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Atlas, dressed in Jason Voorhees' outfit and with a crazy smile on her face, stared down at the trembling Madeleine who was strapped roughly to the bed. Beside her, Anton was wearing clothes which looked disturbingly similar to that of Hannibal Lecter – and holding a FUCKING CHAINSAW._

" _Now that you know the secret of our Essence" the redhead evilly grinned, brandishing a large axe "We must" and then, she raised it above her head, preparing to chop of the struggling girl's neck "YOU MUST DIE!" Anton approached closer, the teeth of his chainsaw now running open._

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"Maddy?! Yo, Maddy to Earth, Maddy to Earth! MA-DE-LYN!" the native German was aware of a fair palm being shaken in front of her face and she rapidly blinked her eyes, falling out of the day nightmare and was face-to-face with the two siblings, one of them smiling cheerily at her while the other just stared, his eyes boring into her with a distrustful gaze. And she knew a doubtful gaze when she saw one.

"You okay, Maddy?" _(MADDY?! I don't think we're friendly enough for me to be 'Maddy' for you.)_ Her face was really close and her eyes as blue as a sunny sky – she was indeed very pretty. AND VERY CLOSE.

"Just a little overwhelmed by the school's atmosphere" she politely offered, indiscreetly shifting back. "But you were asking me to the student council room?"

"Yup!" Atlas chirped, her long, fiery twin tails swinging around as she stood up, folding her hands behind her back – if it were not for her tall height, she would look too young to be a high school student. "Mami asked us to explain some things to you which she didn't have time to describe." And then, her smile grew a little more mysterious, her eyelids lowering fractionally.

Madeleine matched her gaze evenly with the taller girl, keeping the look on her face blank to read. She did not even show any surprise when Anton, the older brother who had kept till now, leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, his voice an eerily mechanical tone: "You don't want to ask the questions _here,_ do you, Kasner?"

As he backed away to stand tall next to his smiling sister, she stared at them, making sure to keep her expression as unreadable as possible. But contrary to the blankness on her face, a thousand emotions were flowing through her brain.

 _Who ARE these siblings?!_

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He roughly pulled the neatly arranged covers off the bed, throwing them on the floor before smashing the soft pillows together, till they lay crumpled on top of each other in a messy heap. With a strong kick, he toppled the straight study chair on the marbled floor, sweat streaming down his pale olive skin in thick drips. The frizzy strands of his ochre-coloured hair were matted to his forehead, many locks pointing in different directions to cause a disjointed mess, faded amethyst patches visible between the shabby tresses. He grunted hoarsely before swatting away the orderly arranged stack of books all over the floor, his maroon orbs watching as they bumped into each other and created a dull cacophony sauntering over the polished wooden desk.

Outside, approaching muffled voices could be heard. "FUCK MY SHI- Did you guys hear that?! I told ya BITCHES, YOU LITTLE PRICKS- Tommy IS in Raven's room!"

"Jerry, how did you ever manage to place the cheese in Shrimp and Mama Bear's area?!"

"I PLACED NO CHEESE, BITCH!" And then, the voice grew meeker. "D-Do you guys think that I would have enough courage to traverse the territory of such dangerous girls?"

"I doooooonn't find them daaaaangeroooous at alllllllllll . . . ."

"Same here, shortie."

"THAT'S BECAUSE THE BITCHES NEVER BEAT YOU UP! And do not even talk, Arry! It is bad enough you hold some sort of FREAKING OBSESSION with that SHORT MIDGET and the CREEPY SNAKE."

"I'm nooooootttt obsessed with Kuuuurrumi or Gweeeeenn . . . . . . ."

"Jerry, you ain't no Ryan Gosling yourself to call others a short midget. And Arry, I think you're in denial. I mean, you sound like some sort of creepy stalker with your eyes always following those two around whenever they're in the vicinity."

". . . . . . . . . . The checklist says I'm to ask you to shut up but I don't think it's possible with the two of you motor mouths. And it also says we should stop standing in the girls' dormitory while stupidly arguing in front of the room of two dangerous species of the female race."

". . . . . Good point."

As the door slammed open, the figure who sat on the floor looked up, sweat-soaked strands of hair hovering in front of his eyes in thick layers – a lanky arm swatted the strands away, plastering them to the right. "Good gracious, TOMMY YOU ASSHOLE!" Jamie immediately rushed into the room, followed by an apathetic (as always) Aran and a zoned out Tala who was feeding on a bag of chips, her honey-coloured eyes blinking at Tommy, who sat on the floor in the left side of the room, right in the middle of the mess he'd built.

"Raven would be very troubled" the tall female nodded sagely, well . . . as sagely as you can look while eating chips. Her wild silver hair bobbed along with her head as she glanced around at the cyclonic clutter – a toppled chair, strewn books, bed sheets dragged to the floor (seriously, who buys bed sheets with tea cups as a design?), pillows fluffed up and many other things which would be too tiring to list.

"Hooooooowww did you eeeeven geeeetttt iiiiiinnnn. . . . . ?" Aran asked, running his long fingers through his wavy viridian hair, slightly playing with the single dreadlock that hung like a braided cow's tail.

Tommy looked up with his large, blank mahogany eyes before standing up and walking towards the questioner. The serious and blank expressions on their faces made it almost seem like a confession scene . . . . . especially when the blond began leaning in . . . .

" _Oh, Aran" he murmured, a blush colouring his olive cheeks as his lips neared the ones of the red and silver-eyed male's "How long I have loved you . . . . ."_

" _Tommy" he whispered, leaning in as well "I . . . . I . . . ."_

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Jamie screamed in the background, waving his small fists. "You both look gay!"

Tommy, who was already pretty close to Aran's face, stared at his roommate with a 'Duh' look and deadpanned in a wispy voice "Jamie . . . . I AM gay."

"We loooookk happpyyy . . .?" Aran mumbled, confused – he immediately started flipping through his checklist and went to the directory on 'Happiness.' As he scanned the page, he did not find a single clue as to how a male leaning towards another male could be deemed as a happiness moment. New fact. He was a little disappointed he forgot to bring his pen with him but decided as soon as he'd return to the basement, he would add the new notes.

"Arry," Tala again informed sagely, plopping down on the bed sheet-ridden bed "Jerry-"

"I AM JAMIE, ASSHOLE!"

"-meant you both look like you're gonna ram each other's sausages into each other's black holes at any moment now." For a few moments, there was cricket-chirping silence . . . .

"EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO VOMIT MY GUTS OUT" the cerulean-haired boy cried while keeping his hands slapped over his mouth, his left eye twitching all the while and his body quivering like a lanky branch on a windy day.

Tommy sat in the utmost corner and began rocking back and forth, mumbling depressively "Unpleasant, unpleasant, unpleasant, unpleasant . . . . ." Aran rubbed his chin and contemplated, _What does a sausage have to do with a black hole? I thought gastronomy and astronomy had no connection . . . . . . ._

"Rayne, we'll get late for classes!" a sudden high-pitched voice cried outside the ajar door and the four teens froze in their places, two of them beginning to sweat profusely and praying that no one would come in. Two pairs of mismatched footsteps passed by from the outside of the room and within a few seconds, had faded away.

"A-Anyway" Jamie sputtered, his fingers dancing like spaghetti noodles as he nervously glanced around the room. "L-Let us fix this place up AND RUN OUT OF HERE LIKE MOTHERFUCKERS!"

"Is it necessary?" Tala whined, throwing her empty packet of snacks on the floor and adding further to the clutter of the place. Tommy stared at the packet and realized it added more disorganization to the messy half-room – he went into a happy daze, stars flying around his face and started rolling on the floor.

"This room is so asymmetric! I LOVE IT!" he exclaimed happily in his soft voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DEAD, YOU BITCH?" Jamie screamed, immediately picking up the packet and crumbling it in his hand – Tala shrugged nonchalantly. "Arry, you take Tommy to class – I and Dead will clean up this FUCKING SHITTY GARBAGE DUMP and join you!"

Aran stared blankly at him for a few seconds, his brain shifting gears as to how he should reply and then, softly smiled and bowed "No, thank you."

"I AM NOT OFFERING YOU COOKIES!" the short boy was losing his temper as he pushed them out of the place. "Just be off! We'll catch up!"

The two boys stood outside the door for a few seconds before exchanging glances and deciding that going to classes for now would be the best option. SINCE THEY HAD ONLY FIVE MINUTES LEFT.

"Hmmmmmm" the viridian-haired boy let out a low sound "My checklist tells me we should run otherwise we'll get into trouble." Tommy, keeping his gaze trained to the floor, nodded – the tall, lanky boy looked like the human ambassador for disorganization. His attire consisted of a flabby white T-shirt two sizes big for him, splattered with three colours of paint which was probably meant to make it look artistic but it succeeded more in making him look like he'd been the victim of a ferocious paintball war. His faded scarlet shorts which stopped at his knees had the lower half of the leg torn off near his left lower thigh, revealing pale flesh. But the most arresting part of his appearance were his shoe-less feet – covered with shin-high socks of different prints.

As the two walked towards their destination, the blond began in his extremely soft voice "I-I'm sorry, Arry, I-I caused the three of you a lot of trouble . . . . . ." Aran stared at his troubled maroon eyes, extremely lost to as how he should act – sneaking a discreet glance at his checklist, he lip-read:

 _Put an arm around her and lean your face in close – not uncomfortably close but intimately close. Whisper in a sweet voice 'its okay, everybody makes mistakes sometimes, darling.'_

 _Seems simple enough,_ he thought and did the same – he threw his arm around the shocked blond, made easier by their similar height and whispered (rather seductively) in his baritone "It's okay, everybody makes mistakes sometimes, darling."

"Uh, Arry? What're you doing?" Tommy asked in an incredibly hushed tone, his cheeks dusted pink and his eyes wide, staring at the younger boy. "Do you . . . . . . feel for me or something?"

 _This is getting trickier._ Thankful he'd marked the pervious page with his middle finger, he read discreetly through his peripheral vision:

 _Put an arm around her and lean your face in close – not uncomfortably close but intimately close. Whisper in a sweet voice 'its okay, everybody makes mistakes sometimes, darling.' If they continue to cry, give a warm, gentle hug. If they smile, smile back and touch your foreheads. If they ask a self-deprecating question or make such a remark, look at them dead in the eye and mumble 'Don't say that. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.'_

Sadly, he seemed to skip over the 'self-deprecating' part and only noticed the question. "Don't say that" Aran stated in a firmer voice, earning a squeak from the other boy. Staring intently into his wide eyes with mauve and grey of his own, he continued "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

 _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA . . . .?_ Tommy froze, his jaw dropping open as cold shivers ran up and down his body. At a loss for words, he softly mumbled "I-I didn't know you had such feelings for me . . . . . ."

Checklist.

 _If they ask a self-deprecating question or make such a remark, look at them dead in the eye and mumble 'Don't say that. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.' They should stop their quivering after that – if they're a quivering cry-_

"PLEASE GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Both boys looked up at the direction of the high-pitched scream which was followed by the running of . . . . . motor engines? Aran and Tommy turned back in the direction of the girl corridors they'd just left and their eyes slowly widened as they saw fellow schoolmates, the lavender-haired Rayne emotionlessly riding a scooter and the orange-haired Lena screaming with tears flowing out of her eyes, squeezing her best friend hard around the waist.

As they neared them, the scooter leaving behind a thick black smoke of dust and ash, Rayne's eyebrows lifted a little in recognition and she raised a hand, waving at the two men in her way. "Good morning, Thomas and Aran. Please get out of our way otherwise you will be crushed."

Slowly glancing at his checklist, the sixteen-year old mumbled "Tommy, I think we shou-"

"RUN, ARRYYYYYYYYYYYY!" the blond screamed as he grabbed the younger boy's hand and made a swift turn, his legs churning up and kicking through the air to make a run. However . . . . . . .

"ROLL TO THE SIDE! ROLL TO THE SI-!"

CRASH!

THUMP!

THWACK!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jamie had his eyes closed in deep concentration, his ears strained to hear the slightest alterations available in the sound waves travelling through the atmosphere. His ears hurt a little from the loud engine noises that had just transpired earlier but it was nothing major – the pain would fade away in a day or two. He and Tala had cleaned Raven's room in the best way they could and he'd double checked with his advanced eye sight to furrow through the slightest discrepancies in the arrangement. Once they made sure the redhead would not notice that her room had once been thoroughly molested, the two were waiting for their chance to escape without anybody noticing.

Jamie could still feel the last time Tommy had messed up her room – the bruises on his back still hurt . . . . .

Chewing on his bubblegum, he had a mini heart-attack when a loud blast echoed through his ears, like the bursting of firecrackers. Whipping his head around, his eyes fell on Tala who had just popped the bubblegum he'd lent her – he glared harshly, placing an index finger to his lips. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to roll around lazily on the bed – no, not Raven's bed, idiots. Ayumu's bed.

Suddenly, Tommy's scream hit his ears shrilly and Jamie fell on the floor, his head ringing as the world spun. Tala, after destroying some bed covers, perked up to and whistled "Looks like some girl was attacked by a spider monster – or maybe a sausage monster." She chuckled raucously at the lewd joke.

Jamie slowly peeled his face from the floor and mumbled, his head still spinning "Darn it, Dead, it was our old To-" Before a set of sentences hit his inhumanly sharp ears.

{"Kurumi is leaving the both of you here because God has matters to attend to."}

{"Matters my a! You're just gonna steal fo-AIEEEEEEEEE!"}

{"Do NOT insult God."}

{"I'm coming with you, K. I don't feel like going to class."}

{"Just how can the two of you b's skip classes like this?! OUCH!"}

{"Quiet."}

"FUCK THIS SHIT FUCKING HELL SHIT BITCH ASSHOLE FUCK" Jamie gritted, his fingers pulling rapidly on the skin covering his cheeks, almost threatening to tear it off. "DEAD, THEY ARE COMING, THE SCARY PEOPLE ARE COMING!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Somewhere, in an isolated place far, FAR away from Mami's School for the Socially Troubled, where darkness had built an empire and an ominous, mysterious power lay dormant . . . . .

The loud moan of wooden doors opening echoed in his private chambers and he looked away from admiration of the full moon, turning his expectant eyes to the young, petite girl who had just entered, her coloured lips stretched into a wide grin.

"You look happy!" he exclaimed, smiling genially. "I assume it went well?"

"As easy as a dress-up game!" she boasted, undeveloped chest puffed out with pride. Running lacy-gloved fingers through her pink locks, she sneered "They did not even expect it till the last second!" She chuckled in between girlish giggles. "And they . . . . and they call themselves the Champions! Kuhuhuhu!"

The man stood up from his seat and turned towards the moon again, his smile widening. "You met one of the Champions?"

"Hah, not one!" she cried, flipping her short ponytail. "I met both the Queen and the Demon – but they're not as impressive as you tell us, Leader!" She had a grumpy frown on her face as she huffed "BO-RING!"

"Ha ha" he chuckled shortly, hands folded behind his back before turning around swiftly and beaming at the pink-haired girl. "You're dismissed, Barbie. You can go and rest now!"

"Okay! I'll go play with my dollies!" the pink-haired girl gave a mock salute before running out of the spacious room, her short heels creating rapid thuds on the wooden floor and the doors shutting after her. As soon as she'd disappeared, the figure collapsed on his seat, turning his attention to the moon and mumbled:

"Reiya." He ordered, face completely placid as a curvaceous, hooded figure silently emerged from the darkest shadows of the dim room, long, dark locks of hair framing her taciturn visage. "Could you get me the files again, my love?" With a subtle nodded, she disappeared into the darkness again, her presence as silent as the still night sky.

The young male took off his spectacles and stared at the moon again, raking in the pale amber glow it exhibited. "Oh dear Mami, don't make my seventeen years go to waste. Please, prepare your children for the war as quickly as you can . . . . . ." he sighed sadly.

 **~ Review Replies ~**

To Ghost132:

 **Ghost-san, you're too kind with your words. SERIOUSLY. You make me feel so proud! :D And as I said, O IS AWESOME. Like, I'm used to fabulous characters from you but O's EXCELLENT. But not more than my Margarita! *w* I just LOVE MAGGIE!**

To AncientUnicorn:

 **I KNOW RIGHT! That's why Tom and Jerry-I mean, Tommy and Jamie are the 'Adorable Roommate Duo'! :D BOTH OF THEM EXPLODE WITH MOE-NESS! And he's not had a name change – SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE AN IDIOT! (JK, JK, slip-ups happen – besides, Jamie and Jessie sound pretty similar).**

 **Jamie: TOMMYYYYY! WE CANNOT SAVE YOU FROM RAVEN EVERY TIME!**

 **Tommy: IT'S THAT SHRIMP'S FAULT! WHY THE FUCK DOES SHE HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A NEAT ROOM?! HUH?! CAN'T THERE BE ANY DISORDER IN THIS WORLD?! CAN'T YOU NOT TORTURE A POOR BOY?!**

 **Aran: Calm, boy, calm.**

 **Lykke: Jamie Whilhelmsson, if you do NOT take care of your friend, next time, I shall obliterate his upper half.**

 **Tommy: O_O *crawls under the bed* Oh Sock God, hallowed be thy name, let thy kingdom come-*rocks back and forth***

 **Tala: *sips on coffee* I don't think that's the right order.**

 **Jamie: ME?! You are asking ME?! Are you off your head, you stupid little cunt?! . . . . I didn't mean that. It is just my Tourette- FUCK YOU! GO TO HELL!**

 **Lykke: *smiles calmly at Unicorn* Please ask your child to restrain himself otherwise I will not hesitate to drain his liver. :)**

 ***w* YOU A LADY GAGA FAN TOO?!**

 **XD If you're excited for the Jammy bromance, I wonder how you're gonna react when you see who I've decided to pair Tommy with . . . . .**

 **Thanks for the review!**

To Lady Selphie-chan:

 **?: Ohhhhhhh, is my little Eris gaining some fire?**

 **Asriel: That voice . . . . . .**

 **/ I-I'm glad you like it, Selphie-chan! You're very nice – thank you for the compliments! :D**

 **Ahhhhhh, yes, that's why I've decided to make (shitty) sketches of all the characters so that people can get more familiar with their appearances! But I will also keep your advice in mind and improve!**

 **Kurumi and Q: B-( *put on Ray bans* You bet. #likeaboss**

 **;) She's the Student Council President, Selphie. You got any doubts?**

 **Asriel: ;) *takes Selphie's hand and kisses the fingers* I shall take care of your lovely daughters, man. *gives Selphie a pink rose***

 **Nyx: +^+ *hair flies like Medusa's snakes***

 **Thank you very much, Selphie-chan!**

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **XD You think Asriel WOULDN'T be one of the Champions with his powers?**

 **Kurumi: A heathen like you will never be able to defeat God.**

 **Asriel: Try me, doll.**

 **?: I'll be ready to vanquish him, when that moment comes.**

 **Luccuuuu, no spoilers in the reviews. X( You're spoiling the appetite of the readers!**

 **Aria and Robin: *show Jewel the middle finger* GO AN FUCK YERSELF/YOURSELF.**

 **Mihai: Ne, we don't like what you're saying, right? WE DON'T! WE DON'T! *creepy smile* We want to cut you! Cut you!**

 **Ayumu: *folds sleeves* Dude, ya lookin' for a beatin'?**

 **Thank you, Luccu! Do tell me about any nitpicks I can improve on, though!**

 **?: I'M A DAINTY LITTLE PRINCESS, YOU LITTLE IMBECILE!**

 **. . . . Well, ain't somebody competing for my Pervert Throne? =w= I WILL NOT LET YOU WIN, YOUNG MAN! *readies Ultimate Lecher Gun***

 **. . . . . . . You're SLIGHTLY off track.**

 **You have to stick with Asriel for now. I ain't taking out the big boys till later.**

To enarmonios:

 **Thank you, Ena-kun. You surely know how to cheer people up. :) You're really very kind to me – and one of those who actually reads a story for the sake of the story and just not for their own character. I really respect that.**

 **Curious? XD It will be revealed soon. A hint of it was given already but even then, it was not much and pretty vague.**

 **You have? Wow. That must've been HARD, man. :( I've been in it too – it's pretty troublesome, isn't it?**

 **Eris: -_- I'mma so'y a suffeh frum IED, 'kay?**

 **Nyx: She is my sister after all. The only family . . . . . I have left . . . . .**

 **Asriel: *leans into Ena-kun's face and blinks* Do my eyes terrify you that much?**

 **Barbie: *pouts and places hands on hips* MEANIE! Don't confuse me to be a wussy student of such a shitty school! XP**

 **Madeleine: -/- I-I was not smitten.**

 **Haejin: ;)** **'What can I say . . . . . I'm a charmer after all.'**

 **Your characters are excellent, Ena-kun. You have nothing to feel insecure about. ^w^ And thanks. I like to think romance as my forte.**

 **Lykke: . . . . . You have severely misunderstood. I am anything but LOYAL to-UGH.**

 **?: And my return shall bring forth CHAOS.**

 **Actually, there're MORE than two groups. There's the 'Weird 4' with Aran, Tala, Tommy and Jamie, the 'Popular Kids' with Robin, Ayumu, Garrick, Haejin, Lena and Rayne, the 'Intelligently Dangerous' with Q, Kurumi and Lykke, the 'Student Council' with Nyx, Eris, Asriel and three triplets while Anton and Atlas, despite being part of the student council, prefer to stay in their duo instead of remaining with the other members and finally, the 'Anti-Social Trio' with Aria, Mihai and Yorra. Ayumi and Gwen are loners as well as, at the moment, Madeleine.**

 **The 'Four Beauties' is actually just a title conferred to four of the school's prettiest girls – Nyx, Lykke, Lena and Atlas. None of them are in the same cliques. Of course, people from different cliques are also friends but the cliques mostly hang out amongst themselves.**

 **Oh, thanks for the extra info!**

 **Jamie: You misunderstood YOU STUPID LITTLE PRi-Sorry, I am sorry, I did not mean that. It is my Tou-FUCKING TOURETTES, FUCK. *sigh* I meant I met Aran FUCKING SIX MONTHS AGO IS IT THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, IDIOT?! . . . . . TT-TT Damn, I am sorry.**

 **Tala: He gets his own room. *eats potato chips* That should be enough of a hint.**

 **Aran: *smiles in an incredibly fake way* Thhaaaaannnnk youuuuuu for the coooompliimmeeennnttt . . . .**

 **Kurumi: You bet Kurumi is. Bow down to your new God.**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(FINALLY, SOME ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS MY POOR CONDITION! . . . . Although should I be happy he knows about my façade?)**_ **I . . . . . thank you for your concern . . . . . . I guess. But I assure you I'm . . . . . normal.** _ **(SHOULD I EVEN BE SAYING THIS CONSIDERING HE'S CREATED TWO OF THE PSYCHOS?!)**_

 **Oh wow, you've cracked Karios, Ena-kun! *w* Impressive! Yes, I shall follow both of your suggestions and do my best to implement them! Thank you! For both your kind encouragement and suggestions – you're an extremely thoughtful person. But I assure you, Aran and Lena are high-quality characters – otherwise, they wouldn't even BE here.**

To Rose Rain 7:

 **. . . . . I thought you were kidnapped by some Martian Alien to become the queen of the planet or something. But looks like you were able to break free! :D Welcome back, Fa-chan!**

 **Madeleine: . . . . . You never know.** _ **(WHAT COULD I FUCKING EXPECT?! I'm in a Victorian school for loonies at 10:00 p.m. at night drinking tea with an OLD WOMAN! CLASSIC HORROR!)**_

 **-_- Hi-five. We should be protagonists of such movies. ;D**

 **Aria: *sarcastically* Nah, lassie's to'lly sinceah~.**

 **Madeleine: ^w^; *slowly starts to back away***

 **Mami: *calmly sips tea* Your son is in my school.**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(I'M A MASTER AT IMPROVISATION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.)**_

 **Garrick: Saddens olla us, 'tually.**

 **Most students: *softly clear their throat and start to back away***

 **Fa-chan, I think you should enrol in Mami's school too. She would be GLAD to have you.**

 **Robin: I can't take YOU seriously, woman.**

 **Aria: Sadly, 'tis~.**

 **Kurumi: *glares at Fa-chan, lifts her hand and the Twix immediately appears in her palm* Do not try to negotiate with your God, heathen.**

 **Robin: Believe me when I say this will be true even 20 centuries later.**

 **Yorra: *stares down* I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorry.**

 **XD You'll be shocked out of your knickers.**

 **Aria: -_- Don chya caw me kyut~.**

 **Cataleya's my chara – place was getting too colourful so decided to add some normalcy to it.**

 **Aran: *stares at check list and smiles rather awkwardly* ^_^ I dddddooooonnnn't know what youuuu'rrrreeee talking abooooouuuuttt . . . . . . . .**

 **Aran: *flips through the check list at abnormal speed* Wrong. There is no such option mentioned here.**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(AM I A JOKER TO YOU OR WHAT?!)**_

 **Glad you liked her, Rose. Yup, I completely agree with you – I tried to stress on the fact and built her around it. XD Yeah, I too hope she finds somebody who she wants to be true to.**

 **Aran: . . . . . . . Myyyyy mothhhhheeer.**

 **OH MY GOD, ROSE, THAT SCENE WAS GOLD! TT-TT Dammit, I should've written something like that! You Comedy Princess!**

 **Aran: *starts to creepily stare at Fa-chan***

 **Kurumi: You heathens cannot protect yourselves against Kurumi because Kurumi is God. And Kurumi shall bring the dawn of a new world.**

 **Ayumi: C-C-C-C-C-C-COULD YOU MEAN . . . . t-tha-tha-that-that y-y-YOU . . . . l-like m-me-me-me? /**

 **-_- You call this SHORT? THAKS FOR THE AWESOMELY LONG REVIEW, FA-CHAN! You never fail to crack me up, seriously!**

To Lazersword88:

 **Haejin: :)** **'Thanks, man. I appreciate it.'**

 **Lykke: Pleasure to meet you too.**

 **Dead: *stares deep into Lazer's eyes* You can be my taco friend. *offers handshake***

 **Jamie: WOOHOOOOOO! *pumps fist* You are a FUCKING ASSHOLE BI-I'm sorry, I AM SORRY! I DIDN NOT MEAN IT! I have Tou-FUCKING TOURETTES UNDERSTAND YOU PRI-I should just stop talking.**

 **Madeleine: . . . . . I am happy.** _ **(This dude doesn't seem to be THAT bad).**_

 **Garrick: *waves* ^w^**

 **Yorra: / T-Tha-Than-Thank you . . . . . I-I-I-I-I re-really appre-pre-preciate it.**

 **I-I'm sorry. I've been trying to reduce the amount of descriptions but there's a lot to describe which cannot be overlooked.**

 **Robin: FUCK YOU. *shows middle finger***

 **Ayumu: *cracks knuckles* Lookin' for a beatin', young'un?**

 **Which portions?**

 **. . . . . . You like comedy? And about the story moving faster . . . . . it's gonna be . . . . . somewhat drawn out. Because . . . . I want to add more substance . . . . . and I don't really like stories where everything happens all of a sudden without any situation-building so . . . . .**

 **Lykke: It keeps them sanitary.**

 **Gwen: *yawns* I just wanna appear already. Everything's so dull and BORING without me.**

 **You have a part-time job, right?**

 **Lykke: *twirls sword* I hope to rip your skin off, bit by bit.**

 **Everyone: PLEASE TRY TO HOLD HER OFF FOREVER!**

 **Lykke and Nyx: Or just send her here. We're here.**

 **Thank you for the review!**


	7. Ep5 - cAn YoU hEaR tHe ScReAmS?

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **Lykke: *walks on stage and stares at the audience with big eyes* O_O**

 **DT: *from backstage* YOU HAVE TO SPEAK!**

 **Lykke: *sighs softly* Do I really have to do this?**

 **DT: I CAN'T HEAR YA!**

 **Lykke: -_- Oh well. *turns to the audience and smiles, adopting a louder, clear tone* Good day. I am Raven Wulfric-**

 **DT: Everybody knows your real name.**

 **Lykke: *ignores* -and I welcome you to the 1** **st** **session of the Q &A section of Alter Earth: (In)Sanity! So, the question for this chapter is:**

 **What happened between Aria and Robin to turn them into such bitter enemies?**

 **As many of you have (grossly) suggested, they were not lovers, they are not lovers and they will never be lovers. The thing is-**

 **Aria and Robin: FUCK YA SICKOS! *show middle fingers***

 **-As I was saying, the relationship between them is highly complicated. They share bitterly hateful feelings towards each other, have given severe wounds to each other several times and never pass up any opportunity to abuse the other. But, in the past, many months ago, the thing that caused the rift between them is-**

 **DT: AND THE TIME FOR TODAY'S Q &A SESSION IS OVER! ^_^ Come back next episode for more.**

 **Lykke: -_- *stage darkens and audience leaves* Idiots . . . . .**

 **DT: *pops in* Oh, and before I forget, please do not forget to vote for the 1** **st** **popularity poll of this story! The 3 most popular OCs will get 'special prizes'! :D Sayonara! *locks the door***

 **Lykke: . . . . . Was I just locked in? Oh well. *shrugs and drinks tea***

 **~ Ep. 5 – cAn YoU hEaR tHe ScReAmS? ~**

"I think that was the bell for the beginning of first period."

 _(DON'TKILLMEDON'TKILLMEDON'TKILLMEDON'TKILLME- I'll be your sex slave, your maid, your butler, YOUR ANYTHING! PLEASE JUST DON'T KILL ME!)_ She had done it. She had really gone and done it. After all those minutes of inner monologue about how she would not be fooled, how she would not let anyone manipulate her, all the ridicule she had shoved upon the stupid protagonists of stupid horror movies, she had allowed the Wallin siblings to take her to the student council room – WHICH WAS BATHED IN DARKNE-

"Ah!" she let out a small gasp as her feet tripped over some box-like structure and her body fell forward – however, Atlas gripped her thin arm to prevent her from falling, switching on pale yellow lights to flood the room with light. Madeleine thanked her with a smile before looking around the room – it was reminiscent to an office space but was pretty untidy, with boxes of several sizes lining up the floors and things like banners, posters, streamers and other paraphernalia clumped over desks and chairs.

"Ehehe" the redhead rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly "Sorry for the mess here. We're preparing for the upcoming annual sports day so everything's pretty disorganized at the moment." As the girl walked in ahead, staying close beside her brother, Madeleine took the liberty to soak in her appearance. She seemed to have dipped in black dye with the colour washing off her skin and hair but clung fiercely to her apparel – her shorts, stockings, boots, T-shirt, EVERYTHING was a dark shade of onyx. The combat gloves and body armour she wore on her torso, combined with the dominance of black, made her look like some character from an action video-game.

 _You've chosen: ATLAS WALLIN. This fiery-haired female with her deadly arsenal of curves and charming face, comes loaded with-(BACK OUT BRAIN BACK OUT. Don't go crazy on me now)._

Anton neatly rolled up a painted banner and tucked it into a corner of the room, before slinking down in a comfortable office chair and pointed Madeleine to a seat in front of him – the blonde turned to look at Atlas but the cute girl had already occupied the seat next to her brother, slinking close to him. The white-haired male visibly relaxed at the proximity of his sister and his face, though still remaining in his usual blank mask, softened – the blonde felt very awkward taking a seat in front of them. It was almost like . . . . . . she was interfering with their private time or something.

 _(EWW. That thought's disgusting.)_

"Mami told us you still don't know much about our school" thankfully, it was Atlas who broke the looming silence with her light-hearted preppy tone – it was clear she was oblivious to the tension her older brother and new friend were suppressed by. "But seriously, Maddy, what do you think about the idea of our Essences?" She followed with a giggle and a hand poised self-consciously over her chapstick-ed lips "You didn't believe it right away, did you?"

 _(ESSEN-OH. So that's what they call those alien powers of theirs)._ She gave a restrained smile and tried to answer as diplomatically as possible "It would've been hard to believe in most cases but there were some students of your school who inadvertently set examples." However, as she waited for the girl to give a reply, Anton opened a drawer on the table he currently occupied and took out a rather large box. As to not act rude, she watched from her peripheral vision:

"Hmmm" the tall girl tapped her chin in thought before her cerulean eyes sparkled "It must've definitely been Robin, right?! Or maybe, Ayumu?!" When Madeleine shook her head, the blonde more focused on the small cylinder-shaped paraphernalia the older brother fetched out of the box, Atlas' red eyebrows furrowed deep and she leaned back in her seat, arms crossed over her nicely-sized chest. "Then . . . . . who could it be? I doubt it's Kurumi or Q . . . . and Lykke would never . . . . . but then, it could even be Aria . . ."

 _(YES, IT'S THAT ONE-EYED HOBO!)_ "It was Aria Rivers, I believe" the green-eyed girl offered helpfully, uttering her next sentence with utmost care – she trusted the tanned girl enough to make a small wager. "If I'm not wrong, I suppose . . . . . she has mind-reading abilities?"

But her wager did not pay off.

"And why would YOU like to know?" Seriously, the deep, mechanical voice of the swamp-eyed male disturbed her – it was like he had no feeling or emotion left in him and was only a dry husk of a human. She watched with a slightly intimidated gaze as he lit up what seemed to be a cigar, a cigar with a very distinct neon green coat and took a long drag – but surprisingly, there was no smoke. _(Strange. I never knew cigars like these existed. But I've certainly never heard of them before . . . .)_

"Ant!" Atlas chided, pouting at her brother. "Don't be so rude to Maddy – she's a newbie here so of COURSE she'll be curious!" His piercing gaze softened immediately when he looked at her – something which did not escape a pair of emerald eyes – and he turned his head away, quietly sinking into the comforting smell of ash. The blonde could pick up a faint scent in the air – it was quite pleasant but she could not put a finger to it. The redhead beamed at her and tried to lighten up the situation: "Don't mind him, Maddy! He's blunt with everyone but he doesn't really mean half of the things he says." Atlas may not have seen her brother eye-roll at that but Madeleine surely did. "Actually, the thing is, we students are not allowed to reveal the Essences of other people excluding ourselves – it's one of the most basic rules here."

 _(DAMN IT. Does that mean I'll have to figure out every loon's 'Essence' on my own?!)_

"Oh, but would you like to know my Essence?!" she chirped, looking excited at the idea of showing her powers. Madeleine stared at her with wide eyes and thought _(What an UTTER fool)._

"Atlas" Anton growled from beside her and the blonde found the look on his face to be extremely disturbing – dark eyes narrowed, thick brows furrowed and his spiky, snow-coloured hair sticking up like threatening quills. But she was not letting this chance go out of her hands to find out more about this strangely fantastical place and her new . . . . . . acquaintances.

"I assure you, Mr. Wallin" his head snapped to her from a slightly saddened Atlas – different shades of green clashed into an intense battle of suppressed dominance. "That I will not mention about such sensitive topics in my essay. Besides, nobody will believe me even if I do." _(TAKE THAT, BITCH)._

He continued keeping his gaze locked with others, the tension between them palpable and even the spirited Atlas was beginning to feel some of the nervousness, apparent in the way she looked back and forth between them, her sparkling eyes worried. The cigar dangled from between his left fingers and it was then, on closer inspection, that the Goethalite noted how . . . . . . odd he looked. All the people she'd met yet were fine examples of a far-fetched appearance but this male . . . . . this Anton Wallin . . . . his body was odd on a different level. Even though he wore a grey trench coat which showed only snips of his bulletproof vest _(I'm beginning to think these siblings are not the usual lot of students here)_ and the camo pants he wore completely covered his legs, there was a unique protrusion to him which was poking at her mind's eye but she could not fully comprehend it yet.

"Don't go overboard." She'd been so caught up in his appearance that she was brought out of her reverie by Atlas clapping her hands together in glee, a broad beam on her pretty face.

"Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH, ANT!" she cheered and hugged her brother from his left – Madeleine had to rapidly blink her eyes to process the result.

 _(He can't . . . . he couldn't have . . . he just did NOT . . . . how could he . . . . . DID COMMANDER EMOTIONLESS JUST FUCKING SMILE?!)_

She was not allowed to dwell much on her thoughts as the black-dressed girl jumped out of her seat with the bounce of a rabbit and with hands folded behind her back, swung her face close to Madeleine and flashed her the signature 'Dazzling Atlas Smile.' "You're SOOOOOOOO gonna enjoy this, Maddy!" The blonde smiled back in a much more calmer way, chuckling lightly and replying with words along the line of:

"I get the feeling I will."

Anton watched with a wary gaze disguised with a mask of boredom as his red-haired _sister – damn, that word HURT –_ skipped behind Madeleine and plopped her palms over her green orbs, cheerfully singing "Now close your eyes and DON'T PEAK, MADDY. When I count down to 1, THEN you can open them~!"

"Okay, I get it" the new student answered with a small laugh – and Anton, for just a minute, wondered that maybe she was not as bad as she seemed. But:

" _You must be firm. People will try to blind you with their kind actions, deafen you with their sweet lies, seduce you with their conniving charms. But you can't trust them – you can't trust ANYONE except yourself and your orders. So you must kill – even if it's a little girl, a pregnant lady or an old man. Even if they seem innocent, they can't be trusted."_

For all the unpleasant memories 'he' had given him, Anton had learnt many valuable lessons and skills from that man as well – along with the important 'gifts' he'd got. He clenched his left fist tightly, eyeing the Madeleine character – she may be a harmless, decent girl but that did not mean she could be trusted.

" _You don't want to lose your sweet little sister, do you? Then don't trust."_

But before he could utter a word against her, Atlas gave him a saccharine smile and her wink caused the older male's beige cheeks to darken. He looked away, powerless in front of his little sister – the way she played his emotions, all with a coy smile . . . . . . .

 _I should be ASHAMED of myself._

Madeleine, meanwhile, had finally been relaxing a little and although still a little apprehensive, she knew the Wallin siblings wouldn't be harming her anytime soon – the girl already seemed to trust her to the point of even revealing her powers. _The Charmer._ She bit back a triumphant smirk – she'd thought she'd lost her touch from what happened in the cafeteria but realized that the students here needed to be played with in different ways.

"You can look now – if you see anything that is! Teehee!" And then, the veil of darkness was lifted and the blonde raised her head, her exhilaration apparent in the way she moved her jade jewels around with frantic excitement. Jewels which . . . . . .

"Where is Atlas?" she found her voice questioning an indifferent Anton who was signing some documents at his desk – the redhead was nowhere to be seen. The male gave her only a momentarily glance but made no act of replying. She got up from her chair and looked around tentatively, a fair idea slowly building up in her mind. _(It fucking must be . . . .)_

"BOOOO, MADDY!" The blonde gurgled a half-scream when she felt long arms encircle her from behind and immediately turned her head, her gaze resting on nothing but the faraway door. Even though the grip around her waist was so very real and tight, there seemed to be nothing behind her which could prove its existence. "Awwwwwwww, I thought you'd scream louder! Well, something is better than nothing!" It was the same with the high-pitched voice that trailed harshly through here ears.

 _(So it is . . . .)_

"At . . . . . . las?" she called out, turning back her full body and feeling the hands loosen away from her slim hips – again, she only stared at air and the dull background of the office. Almost-sure, she raised her right hand and lifted it with a steady pace, stretching it in front of her, before gripping a cloth material in her small palms. A slight sheen affected her eyes and, right in front of her, stood a grinning redhead, her lovely, large cerulean eyes shining as brightly as ever.

"Neat, isn't it?" she flipped a twin tail over her shoulder – Anton sighed and shook his head in the background. "Invisibility really helps a lot . . . . . . especially when you get to blackmail people and find out secrets . . . . ." The older Wallin critically coughed in the background, disproving his sister's amused giggles. But Madeleine was clearly not paying attention to their subtle interludes – she'd known that the students here possessed certain powers and had witnessed some of them but this was the first time she'd experienced one so closely . . . . . . . .

To think that she would be surrounded by people like these, ones with such frightening powers. Ones who could break down her charade within seconds and leave her defences crumbled, with nothing to hide her naked ugliness.

 _(SHIT. FUCK. SHIT SHIT SHIT. DVACHEVSKAYA, JUST WHERE HAVE YOU SENT ME?!)_

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"Must rub away all this blood" she mumbled in a low voice, her black gloves lying on the slowly wetting floor near the sink – when was the last time she'd taken them off? She couldn't really remember. But she did not have time to think much about it – after all, she had to get rid of all the _thick, stinky, hot blood on her snow-coloured hands. So she rubbed furiously with soap – rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed, wondering why it didn't disappear, why it still continued to stick between her fingers in knotted threads. 'Why isn't the blood going?' she thought, desperately. 'Is Lord Lowell punishing me? Is this what they call . . . . . ret-retr-retri . . . . I forgot the word . . . . .'_

But the blood stubbornly clung to her skin and the sleeves of her black turtleneck were drenched from the water, some water stains also deflecting to her ebony jeans. The usual blankness on her face was slowly morphing into amalgamation of disgust, rage and fear, her hands scrubbing faster on her skin, turning it into a raw red. "Why won't the blood go away?" she mumbled in her monotone, her lips making incoherent movements. "Go away, go away, go away, go away . . . . ." her chants did not seem to be having much of an effect as her hands were still stained red.

"Rayne, RAYNE!" furious knocking could be heard on the door of the bathroom and a young girl's voice yelling – albeit, it was more of a normal tone than a screaming one. "Rayne, please come out! You've been in there way too long! Please let me in!" It was the 17-year old's 15-year old roommate and . . . . . what was that word? Ah, she couldn't remember . . . . .

"I'm coming, Lena" she called out calmly, not feeling the pain of the ripped skin traced over palms from her 'thorough scrubbing.' If she did not hurry, Lena might call somebody else (like the previous times) and she really did not wish to have any more questioning interactions at the moment. Besides, most of the blood from her hand had been washed off and stained the sink, marking it a pungent red so after drying her cut and blistered palms, Rayne put on her gloves, slightly wincing when the synthetic material stuck to her exposed flesh but it was not much of a bother . . . . . she had, after all, gone through a lot worse.

Lena stood outside the bathroom and sighed in relief when the door unlocked and her best friend stepped out, the sleeves of her turtleneck damp with water. "Rayne, you had me worried" the tall girl smiled anxiously at her, her left arm hanging on a stapled sling since she'd sprained it in their earlier collision. "Dr. Shurik is calling you to check on your wounds" she informed and the porcelain-skilled girl was a little disturbed but she did not wear her emotion on her sleeve. "Also, you should apologize to Aran and Tommy for earlier" the taller, bronzed teen informed, her soft voice holding a gently consultative tone.

"Alright" Rayne gave a short nod "I will do that." However, as Lena walked inside the bathroom after her, she informed over her shoulder "Drain the basin properly with water – I was rubbing blood off my palms so it is mostly stained." The 15-year old gave a confused nod and watched as her older roommate disappeared behind the white curtains, into the infirmary. Walking carefully and slightly wincing at the throbbing ache in her left wrist, she locked the door behind her, pondering if she would be able to practice for the upcoming annual sports. _The doctor said it will take at most a week to heal but the event is only ten days away . . . . what can I do with only three days of practice?_ However, she DID need to do her best – she was one of the few athletes in her group after all.

Lena made her way to the basin and noted that it was stained wet all over – even the tiles around the basin were flooded a little. Taking a look at the white sink, she noted something else – it was stark clean, not a speck of the red liquid Rayne had commented it was blotched with. Sighing, she pressed a palm against the cool surface of the mirror and stared into her reflection – this was not the first time her emotionless friend had weaved a lies of blood-stained palms and basins. But lately, she was beginning to think, maybe it was not a lie . . . . .? Maybe . . . . . Rayne did believe her palms were . . . . . . covered with blood?

She'd been with her since the first time she'd arrived in Mami's School six months ago and the two had remained roommates all this while – she smiled tensely when she remembered how difficult it'd been to communicate with the light-haired girl during the first two months. But with persisted friendliness and a kindly approach, she'd managed to open her up somewhat, to the point the both were almost inseparable currently.

 _And yet . . . . . there're so many more things I don't know about her,_ Lena reflected, staring at her other self in the mirror, gazing into her vivid tangerine eyes. She smiled at her beauty but suddenly – the face that stared at her from the other side ceased being human. Instead, it was the face of a monstrous beast, with emerald eyes that held a gruesome gleam, fur the colour of poisonous acid and long, thick canines protruding from beneath ugly black lips.

She shattered the mirror with her right fist, curled bangs shadowing her eyes, her chest beating hard underneath her sky-coloured silk sweater. "Dammit" she growled, the sweet voice now holding a harsh pitch.

"When will you leave me alone?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rayne turned back, staring at the bathroom door from where the echo of shattered glass resonated – she did not know what it meant but there was something in her heart which told her that something had happened to Lena. But she'd not yet been taught what to do in such circumstances so she satisfied herself with the fact that she'd give Lena her banana smoothie from lunch.

" _Dere few wayz to brightin up sad buds lyk handing dem stuff. Lyk . . . . . ye know, dissertz, sma' gifs an', yeah, thins lyk dat . . ."_ Garrick's advice from weeks ago gave her the idea. Besides, the athletic beauty had liked the watermelon smoothie last week – so there was a high probability she'd like the banana one too.

As soon as Rayne parted the curtains and walked into the infirmary, she was greeted with the sight of an almost-nude Tommy running around in his briefs while a shirtless Aran sat on one of the beds, scribbling something in his checklist. His smooth, white torso was muscular and built, hard abs formed from intense training but what caught the female's attention more were the two . . . . . . what were they called again . . . .? Anyways, until Lena got here and educated her, she would refer to them as "drawings" – they were not as beautiful as the paintings Garrick created but nevertheless, they were . . . . . . pretty to look at, for the lack of a beautiful word. Actually, they weren't really drawings but a bunch of fancy, curved letters in a deep shade of red, creating a nice contrast against his pallid skin. (But they did remind her of . . . . .)

"IF YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME, I'LL FUCKING STRANGLE YOUR NECK!" she was awoken out of her admiration by the intense screaming of an underwear-clad blond who was standing upon a wooden table, swinging a chair around with his long, lanky arms. Well, to say he was wearing only rainbow-striped underwear would be quite wrong because, after all, he was also wearing a duo of mismatched socks. Not only were they drastically different in height, the left one had a print of alternating neon yellow and pink stripes while the right one was much duller in comparison, a sprinkling of starry whites on an ashen background.

Yup, many of the students in Mami's school had very 'eccentric' tastes in fashion.

"I don't get paid enough for this." The person in charge of the infirmary, Dr. Shurik, ran his fingers through the messy curls of his pale blond hair, his hands holding a bottle of disinfectant and crepe bandages to clean Tommy's wounds – who was currently making it very difficult to do said stuff. Aran had complied silently, letting the middle-aged man dress the gash on his back without a single complaint. On the other hand:

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, ASSHOLE!" Tommy, shaking terribly with anger, threw the chair towards Shurik but he dodged it with ease by side-stepping – and then, it approached a motionless Rayne-

CRASH!

"Tommy, what are you doing?" Lena cried out loud, her voice a broken shrill, holding Rayne with her good arm and standing a few metres away from the broken chair – she had intervened just in time. "You could've severely wounded Rayne!"

"Calm down, Tommy" Shurik walked towards him slowly, taking off his glasses and Aran looked up from his checklist, feeling a strange aura rise in the room, emanated by the blond doctor. It seemed like the two girls (he forgot their names) felt it too as their faces showed tensed looks – well, at least the busty girl's did. The other one looked as blank as ever, peeling herself away from her taller friend and scratching at her arms – but her movements seemed to be shakier than what they usually were. A little quiver of a lilac eyebrow, a hesitant movement of fingers, Aran slowly remembered that they were telltale signs of . . . . .

Of . . . . . .

 _Of . . . . . ._

Tommy's mahogany eyes softened and the expression on his clenched face loosened – for some reason, all the pent-up frustration was slowly dissipating. No, to say it was disappearing would be wrong. It was more like . . . . . . it was being replaced by some other feeling, a calm, serene feeling that made him feel extremely at ease, triggered by Doctor Shurik's soothing words.

Doctor Shurik.

The only one he could see in the dark, dark world. The only one whose voice he could hear in this silent void. It felt like he was floating in some empty, soundless space and there was only one entity who could pull him out of this scary space.

"It's okay now, Tommy, everything is okay." The 17-year old's lids fluttered close as he sank into the warm feeling of comfort, not reacting as he was wrapped in a blanket, his head resting against someone's hard chest. He breathed in a strange scent, something unlike anything he'd ever smelled before – and coupled with the comfort that his body was in, sleep called out tentatively, stretching its caressing fingers and rubbing them tenderly against his cheeks.

"Oh well, this one's caught" Shurik lifted Tommy in his arms before placing the sleeping boy on an empty bed and pulling the thin blanket over his almost-nude form. He searched his pockets for a cigarette stick before catching Rayne's face from his peripheral vision and wearily sighed as he realized there was one more person whose wounds needed to be treated. "Lowell, please show me your injured areas."

Rayne, realizing that she'd have to show him her body, backed away, her lilac eyes slowly widening into terrified pupils. "Rayne, it'll be okay" Lena tried to soothe her with a sweet smile, kindness dancing in her peach eyes. "Dr. Shurik will only dress your wounds. There's no need to-"

"Please don't come near me." Her voice was even enough to not be of a completely drastic pitch from what she usually adopted but it had an emotional tinge that was not audible in her usual monotone. "Please, stay away." If he could do that to an angry Thompson, then what could he do to he-?

She did not have time to answer as the fear and nervousness she harboured were gradually suppressed by . . . . . . something . . . . . . she couldn't understand. "Relax, Lowell" his lips moved and she found that against her will, her body and mind seemed to obey. "There's nothing to be afraid of. No one can hurt you here – I will always be here, right here, to protect you."

" _No one can hurt you now." Ah, so they were the words from that time. "No one will hurt you anymore, child. I'm here." She felt all her tears be soaked by his shirt as she leaned into him, crying out all the pain she'd endured for all these years, before letting unconsciousness cradle her in its warm bosom._

"I now see why you are in charge of the infirmary" Aran mumbled more to himself than to the other figures in the room, returning to update his checklist, scribbling with a firm hand. The lightly breathing Rayne was laid on the bed next to Tommy, her petite chest moving up and down in synchronization and Lena noted – she'd never seen her look this peaceful while she dreamt.

 _What a powerful Essence,_ she thought, staring at the back of the scruffy doctor for whom she had new found admiration in her heart now. But the admiration furthered the sense of disgust for herself and her fists unconsciously clenched. _I am even more disgusting than I thought. When there're people like him, what use am . . . .?_

"You can go back to your classes, Nielsen, Petropolis." Both teens turned their attention towards the smoking male who quickly handed them two pieces of untidily scribbled paper – late passes. "There's no reason for you to miss classes."

Lena, despite hesitantly accepting the piece of paper, had a sidelong glance at her sleeping roommate. "But, Rayne . . . ." she hesitantly murmured, biting her puckered lower lip.

Shurik stared at her before shaking his head and giving her a detached pat on top of her tangerine curls. "Shoo, kiddo" he muttered and the young girl felt herself blush deeply. "I'll take care of her. And Tommy." He nodded at Aran who had already started buttoning his monochrome striped shirt. The boy, noticing that he was being referred to, gave a half-smile and a nod. _Wait. I don't have to say anything right . . . . .?_

"Thank you, doctor" the girl smiled coyly, glancing at him from under her thick, curled lashes – though she was in for a great disappointment when she noted it had next to no affect. He returned to his desk and began working on some papers.

"Now only to check on Ayumi when he comes back from hiding . . . . ."

Shurik's words faded as Lena and Aran walked side-by-side after exiting the infirmary, the former wincing slightly as she pulled a muscle in her sprained arm – however, it was of minor concern since she was internally gushing about the bodies of the two males she'd seen shirtless. _Tommy is as lanky as I expected but I never knew Aran was as ripped as Robin – plus, his tattoos are so cool! They make him look even hotter._ She watched as he flipped through his check list and was a little annoyed that he paid no attention to the beautiful girl walking next to him – even before she moved to Germany, the only boys who didn't fawn over her were the gay ones and the deeply committed ones.

 _He could be gay though. Maybe he's dating Tommy?_ But finding the idea to be exorbitantly despicable, she shook her head and decided to not dwell on it.

"Umm, Aran?" she politely inquired in a bid to make conversation as the pale 16-year old slowly looked up from his checklist and stared at her with a blank expression – before probably realizing something and smiling. Forcefully. She smiled back a little awkwardly before offering a shy smile and venturing "Your tattoos are really cool. Though I could not understand what they mean."

He continued staring at her, smiling in that awfully fake way with his dual-coloured eyes all squinted. She continued, trying to be more obvious "And I'm kinda curious about them." When he did not reply again, she sighed in slight frustration and directly asked "Could you tell me what they mean?"

"Oh." He exclaimed in realization before fixing his checklist on his belt loop and placed a hand on his left shoulder. "The one here is 'Slutningen' – it's the Danish phrase for 'The End'."

 _And here I thought it had a vulgar meaning!_ "Is there any special reason you made it?" she asked, feeling a little accomplished at having engaged in blossoming conversation with the 'Frigid Prince'.

 _Yes. Because I will end this useless, pathetic world and create a new one in its stead._ "Not really" he smiled again, a little less awkwardly than before – the last time he'd told his honest views to a person . . . . .

It hadn't ended well.

"Ah, so it's a trending statement!" Lena commented, inching closer to him in a way he didn't note – their height difference wasn't much so it was really easy to look into his eyes, moulds of ash and amethyst. "And the one on your . . . . . torso?" She blushed a little as she said this which was, of course, a totally blind scene for Aran.

"It's my sister's name" he replied, his smile tightening a little. "Erin."

"You must be really close to each other to make a tattoo of her!" Lena squealed, her large eyes sparkling. "Does she live in Germany too?"

He smiled at her, lips curling up into a curved grin which spread over his sharp cheeks. "She's dead."

 _What the . . . ._ "D-Dead?" He nodded, still smiling. As the mood shifted from pleasant to awkward in a few seconds, she added "I-I see." And then, her wish to get closer to the handsome male, faded.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shurik cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders, craning his neck from side to side to remove the stiff soreness in them. The wounds were pretty minor but catching the students to treat them was the real pain – especially the paranoid ones. He stared at the sleeping Tommy, who had only received a few scratches on his torso and legs from the accident but now, they'd been wrapped with medicinal gauze. And now . . . .

"It's time to fix you up, isn't it?" he mumbled, walking over to Rayne who lay quietly on the bed, her long, straight locks flayed all over the pillows. He slowly folded her black turtleneck from the waist till it reached the edge of her bra, staring at the blue spots on her tummy which had, no doubt, been caused from collision. Possibly with the bike she'd recently invented and tried out on campus.

Sigh. These kids.

But those blue spots weren't what was eye-catching on the snow white skin. Instead:

Several crescent-shaped scars, all of them placed haphazardly near each other and ranging over every possible expanse of skin were marked on the fair background, giving it a slightly duller tinge. He folded her sleeves to her shoulders and saw the same faded cuts and bruises – even on her thighs, as he pulled down her jeans, they were present. Cuts and bruises marked everywhere, as if she was a canvas holding the painful marks to herself, showcasing it on her body as strokes of demented art.

"I wonder when you'll tell the others . . . . . . especially Petropolis . . . ." he softly muttered, took a drag, snubbed out the cigarette and got to work.

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Contamination. Blots. Dirt. Germs. Bacteria. They were everywhere. She could _feel_ it.

The room looked similar to how she'd left it before but Lykke had a strong and distinct sensation that something was terribly off. She peeled off the plastic gloves and took of her black face mask, all instruments she'd used while cleaning Ayumu's part of the room, before placing them inside a shared drawer. Turning back, she gave a satisfactory nod and her peach lips curled into a proud smile – how clean the former garbage bin looked! The wrinkles on her exotic partner's fluffy covers had been smoothened out, her ukulele had been polished and dried, the various novels on her desk had been alphabetically arranged and she had even fixed the assorted photo frames that adorned the left wall of the room at exactly linear angles. A warm feeling had erupted in the redhead's chest when she'd seen Ayumu's photos with various members of her family, surrounded by several cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and of course, her parents. It reminded her of her own family – and how her cousin's birthday was coming up soon.

 _Wait . . . . . this is not the time to think about it!_

She swiftly walked across the room, crimson locks shadowing her slender frame as she pushed the stainless white divider curtain aside, revealing her side of the room bathed in the bright glow of the morning sun. Her lime orbs narrowed and her form stilled – her senses had been right. She scanned the place again before her eyes narrowed even further, like slivers of a crescent moon and she raked in a smell through her delicate nose. Her eyes shot open into wide spheres and her full lips thinned.

 _Intruders . . . . . . there have been intruders in here!_

Majorly, the room was as she'd left it – neatly dressed covers, organized books, dusted table, straightened lamp but in their escape, the trespassers had forgotten to deck out the small details. Like how her botany book had been placed right _below_ her folder on the World Wars, not two books _above_ it. And how she'd left her felt-tipped pen slanted at a 115 degrees, not 90. Her blistered palms clenched tight, raw skin rubbing against each other and flesh burning in pain but she paid it no attention – her mind was travelling with supersonic speed through various methods of how she should punish the prowlers (whose identities she had a very fair idea of).

 _Castration or Fraying? Hmmm . . . . . fraying would definitely be a lot more painful, with all the nerves and muscles being shown, but castration will definitely teach them a lesson . . . . ._

As such thoughts overtook her as she set to completely dismantle everything and took out her special 'cleaning kit', the thought of a waiting Kurumi faded out of her mind. She could meet her petite friend anytime but the disgusting germs crawling all over her things right now would spread their infection within no time, so she had to tackle the enemy at once.

"Alright, I'm ready" she softly announced, long crimson hair scrunched up in a neat bun with a hairnet pulled over it, hands covered with thick plastic gloves, a white apron tied over her torso and her skinny hands carrying shiny buckets containing mops, wash clothes and a whole array of detergents, sanitizers and soaps with several tags in unfamiliar languages pasted on them. She then raised a spray can and . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lykke, sketch kit folded under her arm, walked like a possessed soul in the empty corridors, her face devoid of any expression and a dark, miasmic aura enveloping her slim figure in a cloud of unnerving negativity. Tom and Jerry would soon be taught a lesson as she had to spend more than half-an-hour to sanitize and re-arrange everything and Kurumi would NEVER wait for that long a tim-screw half an hour, she wouldn't even wait for half a minute. But it was okay, really. Loneliness wasn't a disliked companion and she favoured it from time-to-time, even when she was screwing around in town with her wild cousins. Though today, she desired companionship a little for some reason.

The pretty girl lifted her left hand, turning it around so that she faced the back of her blistered palm – there was a deep, painful engraving of the names "Talia" and "Jonathan" near her thumb. She stared at the etched marks long and hard, with a focused expression – _and fire erupted around her, hot flames melting her face, scarlet and golden flowers waving their petals in a wild dance._

" _I'm not leaving . . . . I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT EDWARD OR JONNY!"_

" _Help me, HELP ME PLEASE! DADDY, MOMMY! LYKKE, VIVI, CLYDE! HELP ME!"_

" _Mumma, please come, mumma!"_

" _No, not without, not witho-!"_

"Uhn!" the redhead gave out a small gasp, freezing in the middle of the visitor hallway. Lykke had no idea why she suddenly froze or even why the memories were triggered since it'd been long since she'd had visions of that episode but suddenly, something caught her peripheral vision, forcing her to shift her focus from unpleasant past events to a figure nestled comfortably on the plush visitor's couch. She tiptoed stealthily, her steel-toed boots only leaving soft kisses on the marbled floor till she was close enough to the sleeping person. And then, slowly, a very faint, almost indiscernible, blush spread on her pallid cheeks.

 _She's so . . . . so very . . . . . . beautiful._

It was a girl of around her age, one with golden tresses that rivalled the shine of the sun and a slender figure with well-proportioned curves, who sat comfortably sunk in the sofa. Her eyes being peacefully closed, Lykke could not discern their colour (although she was sure they would be very beautiful and soulful) but her eyelashes, despite not being as curled as her own, were plenty in number (or was it thickness?) and added an extra dimension to her gentle beauty. Her skin was as fair as Lykke's but noting the revealed expanse of alabaster flesh, it was not covered with ugly scars. _Like mine._ Coming very close, so achingly that she could feel her warm breath on her own skin, the sight of the thin, slightly ajar pink lips called out to her, tempting . . . . . .

And then, the girl's eyes flew open.

 _(WHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK?!)_ One thing Madeleine did not expect after waking up was to have (extremely) profound lime-coloured eyes staring at her like they were trying to pierce into her soul. Also, the fact that said eyes belonged to a face she knew so very well did not help matters – AT ALL.

 _(WHAT IS THIS ANNOYING CUNT VIVIANNE DOING HERE?!)_ However, after her faint inner shock, rationality took over – though their faces were exactly the same, this . . . . redhead in front of her was also so very drastically different and she offered in a gentle voice "Could I . . . . . help you?" If either of them moved ahead by even three centimetres, their lips would be connected. _(. . . . . . What am I thinking?)_

 _She even has such a pretty voice!_ Honestly, all Lykke wanted to do was make a 180 degree turn and speed-walk away like a boss but her larynx betrayed her by making verbal speech without permission. "I just wanted to introduce myself to the new student" she lied smoothly, straightening up and feeling extremely disappointed that she could not smell the warm breath of mint anymore. "I am Raven Wulfric, a senior student in Mami's School for the Socially Troubled. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." And then, shifting her sketch kit under her left arm, she offered a smile AND a hand.

She, Lykke Raven Frost, Queen of the Cleanliness Promotion Association, willingly offered a hand to a stranger. _What am I doing why am I doing this oh no my hand is blistered what if she thinks I'm some sort of dirty freak who gets germs on her palms what if she is revolted why do I CARE?_ Internally, she was smashing her forehead against her mental walls but on the outside, she embodied serenity.

The blonde, however, seemed a little unnerved after the redhead had stated her name and did not notice the offered hand (Lykke, grateful for the chance, discreetly pulled her hand away). "I'm Madeleine Kasner, a representative from Goethals Academy and a transfer student here for a month on a summer assignment as part of the advanced class." _HER SMILE. WHY IS IT MAKING MY CHEEKS FEEL LIKE A BOILING MT. FUJI AND MY HEART SPEED LIKE THE SHINKANSEN?_ Lykke's thoughts ran.

Offering her famous, ice-melting smile, Madeleine stated "I beg your pardon if this holds no relation to you but would you happen to know anyone by the name of Vivianne Frost?" _(She can't say no . . . . . THEY MUST BE DOPPELGANGERS! OR TWINS!)_ Vivianne was a fellow (very annoying) student of Goethals Academy and also a member of the advanced class – not to mention, number 1 rival of Madeleine Kasner. If there was one good thing that had come out of this summer transfer, it was that she wouldn't need to see stupid Vivianne's stupid face for a month.

 _(I'm such a fool. How could I even THINK something good would happen to me?! Calm down, Madeleine, calm down. You're JUST going through a bad time. Yeah.)_

Also, this 'Raven Wulfric' _(Yeah, right, might as well name herself Jane Doe)_ looked like a splitting twin of Vivianne, almost like she'd emerged from the other side of the mirror her fellow Goethalite had been standing in front of. The long, crimson hair, the large lime eyes, the full lips, the alabaster skin, the curled eyelashes, the button nose – _(THEY LOOK LIKE FUCKING PHOTOCOPIES. They can't be NOT related!)_

Instead of receiving a straight answer like she'd hoped, 'Raven's' words were twisted. "Human lives intersect at crossed paths many times – some faces and names are imprinted to the memory while some are lost to the bubbling emotions we hold in our hearts." _(Okay . . . . . but that is not the answer to my question . . . .)_ The redhead smiled very softly and asked "But more importantly, it appears that you have lost your way to class. Am I right?"

Madeleine's smile enlarged gratefully (and Lykke had to control herself not to gush over the cute expression) before nodding twice, feeling happy at having accomplished her mission to find someone tolerable and nice enough who could give her directions. "Ah, you're right!" she chirped. "After a briefing from Atlas and Anton Wallin from the Student Council" Lykke nodded in realization "I missed most of first period but I'd really like to make it for the rest of the day."

"Do you know which class you're in?" asked the shorter 17-year old, folding her hands 'casually' behind her back – she could not let this blonde notice the pitiful state her palms were in. (She knew Madeleine would be disgusted and the thought of it made her . . . . . nervous? What?)

"I'm supposed to attend classes with the seniors today" she answered and the redhead was slightly alarmed – SHE was a senior and SHE had been planning to blissfully skip classes today with Kurumi (who had long left for the hilltop gardens). "And I'm sorry to impose on you" her expression dimmed and Lykke wanted to scream " _NO, DON'T BE SAD! I HAVE NO PROBLEM HELPING YOU!"_ but of course, she didn't. "I had asked for instructions but one thing led to other and they forgot to answer. So I . . . . forgot to ask again" she was rather sheepish with the last words, staring at her white stilettos.

" _You're so cute!" Lykke squealed before embracing Madeleine in a bear-hug._

 _Control, Lykke, Control._ She pinched her blisters to get her mind off disturbing mental images (ah, sweet, sweet pain always helped to gain focus) and offered "If you want, I can take you to the senior classroom – because of the low population of this school, there's only one class for the seniors." _The seniors make up for the lowest population percentage here since, by seventeen, most students recover and graduate. However, there are some severely disturbed ones, like moi, who still haven't got over our problems yet. And to think, in three months, I will turn 18,_ Lykke mentally sighed, knowing she'd have to be even more careful after she became an adult. There was NO WAY she'd be going to a real asylum.

Madeleine noticed that 'Raven' had gone quiet for awhile, tilting her head absentmindedly to the left which caused her crimson bangs to fall over her face, framing her delicate cheeks – she was certainly a very pretty girl, with really large, limpid lime-coloured eyes which seemed to glow when sunlight hit them, a slender body with nice curves, skin which was the soft type of fair (not the harsh paleness she'd seen on the emotionless murderer she'd met in the morning) and of course, the supple, silky crimson hair, a shade deeper than Atlas' scarlet. Her outfit, despite being what could be defined as 'hip' and 'impressionable', did not appeal to the blonde's fashion taste but even though Raven had a kind of soft, submissive image, the hard-edged clothes seemed to strangely suit her.

. . . . . . . She suddenly realized that instead of checking out a person she'd been with only for two minutes, she should snap her out of her daze and rush to class.

"Raven?" she unsurely ventured, hoping not be snapped at – these kind of scenes were far too common in psychological fiction. There was no reply and the girl continue staring off into nothing, her lime-coloured eyes unblinking and thoughtful – and very, VERY creepy. "Ms. Wulfric, hello?" Madeleine waved a hand in front of her face. _(And I thought I finally got someone dependable . . . LUCK, WHY YOU SO CRUEL TO ME, DAMMIT?!)_ "Umm, Raven? Are you okay?" she uttered louder, a hundred possibilities rushing through her slowly panicking mind – was the girl using her Essence or something? Was she seeing something in her mind? Was she playing a prank on her?

And then, the bell rang – probably signalling the start of second period.

"Raven!" Madeleine yelled louder than she wanted to and slammed her palms gently down on the petite girl's shoulders – the redhead gave a violent start and came to, her soulful eyes blinking rapidly, red eyelashes curled against the soft cheeks, before her vision focused on the blonde in front of her. "Hey, Raven, are you okay?" she asked in a softer voice, now feeling very, VERY afraid – what if she DID lash out at her?! Attack her with a scythe?! Gouge out her eye?! _(STOP LOOKING AT ME, YOU VIVIANNE-DOPPELGANGER!)_

"Ah, I'm sorry" the redhead's lilting voice calmed her down significantly – like her appearance, it was melodic and gentle. She was a good singer, most probably. "I kind of zoned out for awhile" she explained, smiling a little guiltily. And then, as if she'd just realized the bell had rang, she looked around and sighed "I guess we should get going, huh? We'll get late otherwise."

Madeleine slowly blinked before removing her hands from her shoulders and the redhead almost went into shock when she realized, too lately, that a stranger had just TOUCHED her. But no, that was not the big deal. The big deal was that she IMMEDIATELY DID NOT CHOP OFF HER WRISTS. _Are those therapy sessions really working? Nah, I barely attend them. Then . . . . why?_

Shaking off such unnecessary thoughts for the time being, she nodded at the new girl's suggestion and turned back to the direction she'd come from, her red velvet-y strands twisting along with her form. "Classes are that way." The blonde smiled and turned to follow her before her eyes landed on something disturbing.

"JESUS, MAN!" she burst out, the sudden husk to her tone a stark contrast against the polite approach of speech she had adopted till now and Lykke's eyes slightly narrowed – what was that? But Madeleine was, currently, not bothered with her behaviour as she pointed to the redhead's lower back. "What the hell happened to your palms?!"

 _Goodness gracious._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No, please don't, please don't-AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Pleading screams resonated from inside room no. 13 of the dilapidated, shambled love hotel called "Plea$ure" but the corrupted staff and uncaring other patrons turned a deaf ear to it – in this part of the world, where crime and immorality thrived amongst the masses of misguided humans, bloodcurdling screams like these were an everyday occurrence. The other customers continued their lewd activities, losing themselves into an atmosphere of intense ecstasy and heated sounds while the negligible amount of staff busied themselves with counting thick wads of cash, sniffing on some drugs and other typical goings-on.

Inside the room which was creating the most commotion, a young, curvaceous blonde girl lay on the cold wooden floor in her nude form, her long, straight locks matted all over the floor. However, calling her 'blonde' would be an adjective mistake – because her tangled locks were thickly plastered with layers of a fresh, thick and pungent liquid. The crimson liquid was also slick over most of her body, gushing out of large wounds, flowing down deep scars and oozing out from engraved cuts. The blood had mixed with tears of pain and perspiration and embalmed her face and body in a thin blanket, reducing her to a wet, quivering, half-dead mess.

"Please, leave m-UGHHHHHHHH!"

She gave out another gurgled scream, this one choked and lower in frequency than the former yells she'd uttered – maybe it was because the blood had travelled down her windpipe and blocked her voice-box?

"Awwwwwwww, this is no fair" hissed a raspy voice in a great impression of a seductive tone, long, black-taloned fingers lifting up the severely bruised girls chin – before the nails dug into the soft skin and pulled out as harshly, staining another expanse of previously unaltered flesh. "I've just STARTED playing, baby!" The new source of excruciating pain was rather ignored, for most of her body was already throbbing with a raw ache – she had become numb to all this by now, actually. Her vision was fading, fading away from the monstrous girl she'd foolishly trusted and decided to sleep with.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Lorraine!" the other girl in the room stated, one whose fully nude form was marked with several artistic strokes but were unlike the messed up blonde's. She dragged her head up by clutching her once platinum locks into a tight fist, watching disappointedly as her eyes slowly began drooping close and her breaths got shallower by the moment. The other girl sighed and shook her head, gently laying down Lorraine on the ground while mumbling "Oh well, at least you lasted longer than Sheldon . . . . . . ." The blonde had closed her eyes fully, her breathing short and raspy, her body an artwork filled with various shaped strokes of crimson, with flesh pink peeking out from many of the wounds.

The other girl in the room got up on her long, sturdy legs – before she suddenly jumped and fiercely elbowed her victim's stomach, launching down her powerful form on the bloody mess. With a half-uttered cry, the body fully stilled and the raspy breaths diminished, grey eyes empty and devoid as they stared into faraway nothingness. Blood droplets from Lorraine stained her own body but she admired them in the chipped mirror available in the shabby room, liking the contrast they made with the various tattoos on her skin.

A minute after she'd rung the service bell, a portly male with greasy skin and orange hair pulled back in a gangly ponytail entered the room, wrinkling his nose is disgust at the horrible stench that emanated from the place. He gave out a weary sigh after seeing the body before unfolding and zipping open the black body bag he'd brought with him and crumpling the naked girl to fit inside. "As messy as ever, I see, Gwen" he nodded towards the tall female, not at all disturbed that she was completely and utterly naked in front of him. He tweaked the dead girl's firm breast and sighed, zipping the bag close "What a waste, man."

"She was better than the last one, though" Gwen replied, wiping off the blood from her body using a towel and tying on a luminescent amber bikini top around her developed breasts, a shade matching the reptilian glow of her eyes.

The male nodded and rolled his eyes, making sure to stay out of her line of sight – he flinched at the memory of the deep gash she'd given him last time he'd been caught eye-rolling. A gash on his butt which had taken 15 stitches to get completely sutured. He did not have the money or pain-tolerance to go through that again. Suddenly, he noted a small, packed suitcase lying beside the barely furnished bed and could not hold his curiosity in any longer. "Are you going somewhere, Gwen?"

"Hmm" she replied lightly, pulling on a pair of onyx booty shorts which fit snugly around her curved hips. "I have a flight for Germany tonight."

"Germa-Germany?" the guy stuttered, the word known yet unusual on his thick tongue. Slinging the body bag easily over a shouldered, he muttered "What business do you have on the other side of the world?"

The tall, ashen-skinned girl suddenly stopped in the midst of pulling a sleeveless biker jacket on her athletic form and the male gulped silently, taking a step back and wondering if this was his last minute, if he would accompany the pretty girl in another body bag. Gwen turned around, her black lips curled up into the smile of a beast before she answered "I can't miss school for very long, you know? Besides" the male's heart almost stopped as a long, forked tongue, an exact replica of a cobra's appendage, slicked over the black lips. "I'm sure my friends and teachers must be missing me."

 **~ Review Replies ~**

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **;) You ain't seen me work yet, babe. But darling, mystery man ain't Niji. ;P You'll soon realize what he meant by 17 years.**

 **Kurumi: God will crush the demon into pieces.**

 **?: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I've never tasted a little girl before . . . . but I'd sure like to.**

 **?: I'm on my way, darling, I'm on my way.**

 **XD Oh, Luccu, I wish I could tell you. :P But you have to wait. And Unknown, WHAT are you doing here?! *hides behind Mami* W-W-W-W-Why is your ki-ki-ki-kid h-h-h-h-here?**

 **Kurumi: *glares at unknown* Kurumi sees that you are another pathetic, conceited, weak heathen.**

 **Luccu, Mami and Nyx are talking about a different incident which happened AFTER Asriel came to the school. XD**

 **NO, UNKNOWN! DON'T COME BACK!**

 **Thanks for the review, Luccu! :D**

To enarmonios:

 **^w^; Trying my best to make all chapters plot driven. #andfailingterribly**

 **Mami: I must say, young one, this is not the first time you've impressed me with your perception. You would be a successful Champion if you were under my care.**

 **Nyx: I have accepted the responsibility to guide all the students of the school through the right path. :) Your concern is appreciated but I am confident I can do my duties.**

 **Tommy: ^w^ Ah, so it was all because of that checklist! You should've said so, Arry!**

 **Aran: . . . . . I thought I was improving.**

 **Jamie: You are, Arry. :D You were MUCH FUCKING SHIT before. And it is FUCKING OKAY GOD Eny. I am sorry about that outburst. QwQ**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(WHY DON'T YOU SAVE YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM FOR YOUR OWN SON?!)**_ **I appreciate your advice but I think I can handle things.**

 **TT-TT You expected so much from my next update and I gave this . . . . . I PROMISE TO UPDATE EP. 5 QUICKLY!**

 **Atlas: *wags finger* :) No, no, we aren't twins. Anton's my older brother.**

 **Barbie: :P If they couldn't handle me then I doubt they'll be able to handle my playmates. I mean, THOSE PATHETIC WEAKLINGS COULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A SCRATCH! XD Heehee! =w= Besides, I hate to say this but I'm No. 13.**

 **Kurumi: Weakling, God will destroy you.**

 **Aran: You shall be my next victim.**

 **?: . . . . . . You underestimate, my beautiful enarmonios.**

 **Thank you so much for the review, Ena-kun! :D**

To Lady Selphie-chan:

 **-/- Selphie-chi, you're embarrassing me *rubs back of head* I'm really not that good . . . . .**

 **Nyx: :) Calm down, mom. And I'm surprised you haven't realized that I am a Champion yet. =w= Gosh, have a little faith in me.**

 **Mami: Nyx has won my trust and proven her worth over several occasions. *sips tea***

 **Eris: *sits in emo corner* TT-TT He betrayed me, though.**

 **Asriel: It was worth seeing the cute expression on your face. ;)**

 **Eris: O/O W-WHAT?! N-NYX, CONTROL YOUR HUSBAND!**

 **Nyx: *giggles* ^w^ But you ARE very cute, sweetie.**

 **Eris: *blush intensifies* GEEZ, NOT YOU TOO!**

 **Yorra: O/O Y-Y-Y-Y-You rilly, rally, relly, really lik-lik-like me? T-Than-Than-Thank you, s-s-s-s-so much! QwQ**

 **Selphie-chi, you're praising me too much -/- But really, thank you . . . . . . . Not acquaintance, Selphie-chi! FRIEND! FRIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNDDDDDD!**

 **Thank you for the review!**

To ShinBP:

 **Thanks, Shin-kun, really appreciate your compliment! ^w^ But I'm tired of waiting for Dark Soul TT-TT There's only so many times you can re-read a few chapters . . . . .**

 **Nyx: ;) Thank you, darling. I appreciate your compliment.**

 **Don't worry, Robin! I've got you covered – besides there's lots to reveal about you! :D You'll get ample screen time! =w= And don't encourage your dad to write another story – he has yet to finish his ones with Kyota and Rikio.**

To Ghost132:

 ***in an ominous voice* It shall be revealed soon. :D But, anyway, thank you Ghost-san! You're as encouraging as ever!**

To R.J. Niner:

 **POCKY, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF! :( I told you, you don't need to review every chapter, 'kay? Besides, your reviews are so wonderful they always make me happy whenever I receive them! :D**

 **Aria: ~I beat cow uddehs up nextyme~.**

 **Ayumu: Not before I screw up dat skinny face!**

 **Garrick: De tale goz lon' back, in de olden dayz when-**

 **Aria and Robin: *slam a hand each over Garrick's mouth* SHUT UP!**

 **Barbie: Did you just refer to my fabulous Essence as a THING?!**

 **Haejin:** **"Wll, snc nt mny ppl undrstnd gstrs I thght ths wld b ezier. & I wsn't smttn . . . . . I gt rlly blshy wen ppl cmplmnt me."**

 **Madeleine: . . . . . I admit I find him a little attractive but that's about it. :)** _ **(PUH-LEASE. I have a whole lot of handsome, talented, wealthy, SANE admirers lined up for me! I ain't a desperate chick!)**_

 **?: *licks lips* Don't worry, precious. We'll meet soon.**

 **Garrick: WHOOOO, sumun agreez! :D *hi fives Pocky***

 **Q: SHEESH WOMAN, ARE YOU BRAIN-DEAD OR SOMETHING?! =W= It was clearly mentioned I am a Champion, stupid b! Get your f-ing head down from Pockyland and come back to earth! FRIENDS?! What FRIENDS?! The fact that I merely tolerate them more than other stupid dumb a's does not make us F-ING FRIENDS! GAHHHHHHHH!**

 **Kurumi: Your heathen son needs to learn how to control his tongue before God. +^+ What happened to him was divine judgement.**

 **Q: I'M ASHAMED THAT YOU'RE MY CREATOR. I'd rather gouge my eyes out then be your so-oh wait, they'd grow back again.**

 **._. Pocky, just how tall are you?**

 **Lykke: It's like Q has only three modes – normal angry, bored angry and super-cussing-angry.**

 **Madeleine: I am trying my best.** _ **(AND UTTERLY FAILING).**_

To MookieBear:

 **-_- I don't understand why you're straining yourself instead of taking a FUCKING REST. :) But thanks . . . . I had a lot of fun reading this review. XD (But still, woman, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE REVIEWED IN THIS CONDITION! ARE YOU CRAZY?! Your health comes first then all of this fanfiction jazz . . . . . JUST GO SLEEP OR SOMETHING!)**

 **Madeleine: Vivian? Hey. :)** _ **(NOT THIS ANNOYING CUNT! AND WORSE . . . . HER TWIN IS IN LUNATIC SCHOOL!)**_ **You never told me you had a twin! ^_^ You both look really similar!** _ **(I just hope you aren't similarly annoying . . . .)**_

 **:D Lykke, to improve your confidence, I, your awesome sensei, WILL MAKE YOU DO THE DISCLAIMERS FROM NOW ON! HOOT HOOT!**

 **Madeleine: ^w^; *slowly backs away* Thank you. You yourself are good looking.** _ **(EWW EWW EWW, GET AWAY FROM ME CREEP! EWWWWWWWWWWW!)**_

 ***eats popcorn* This is better than How I Met Your Mother.**

 **Madeleine: ._.; Raven, I appreciate your concern but there's really no need to get so . . . violent.** _ **(HOLY SHIT. How is she Annoying's TWIN?!)**_ ***turns to Ollie* Thank you.** _ **(What is he . . . BIPOLAR?!)**_

 **MOOKIE, YOU CAN'T DIE YET! *grabs Mookie's shoulders and shakes her back and forth* YOU CAN'T DIE YET! YOU'RE STILL AN UNMARRIED VIRGIN! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY HAREM?! WHERE WILL I GET ANOTHER KUUDERE?!**

 **Madeleine: =w=' You're killing her right now . . . . .**

 **WHA-?! GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, MOOKIE! *drops Mookie* I'M SO SORRY, I GOT OVEREXCITED AND I GAVE YOU AN EARTHQUAKE AND-OH MY GOD, ARE YOU OKA-YOU'RE BLEEDING! SHIT, YOU'RE BLEEDING! SHURIK, COME HERE!**

 **Shurik: 'Kay, kay. *heals Mookie instantly***

 **WHY DON'T YOU LIKE SODA?! WHY?!**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(Nobody cares what you both like)**_ **^_^ Oh, is that so?**

 **Oh, before you go, take these! *gifts a crate of various-flavoured soda bottles* Thanks for coming! BYE BYE! :D**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(GOOD GRIEF)**_ **Please visit us again.** _ **(DON'T COME BACK EVER AGAIN)**_

 **Nyx: Thank you.**

 **Asriel: . . . . . . I hope there's somebody who can defeat it.**

 **?: I'M NOT AN IT, BITCH!**

 **Asriel: TT-TT Just go away . . . . .**

 **Lykke *w* WILL YOU WORK IN MY BUTCHER SHOP?! Even Maddy works there! ;) ;) ;)**

 **Madeleine: *waves from the cashier counter***

 **Mookie, it's your fault for giving her such a twisted past. -_- NOW BEAR WITH IT! (I'll protect you if she carries out her threats though! *thumbs up* *picks up Madeleine* After all, we have the secret weapon ;D . . . .)**

 **Madeleine: QwQ Why do I have to go through this torture?**

 **Barbie: *growls* Just wait till I add you to my toy collection!**

 **?: I'm on my way, love. I'm on my way to meet all of my darling babes . . . . .**

 **Nyx and Lykke: +^+ Hope a vulture chews you on the way.**

 ***le gasp* Mookie, when did you get a sex change? :O**

 **Madeleine: -_-;** _ **(Great, another loon . . . . and this one exists in the real world . . . .)**_

 ***enter DT's daughters (a.k.a Mookie's OC's stalkers)**

 **Kana: IKERRRRRRRRRRRRR! *glomps Iker* *Q* I can die happy now . . . .**

 **Rima: O/O H-Health-san, Elisa-san! *bows* Long time n-no see!**

 **Delison: *stands on her toes and pecks Ares on the lips* ;P You taste like cinnamon, babe. *waves at Matty***

 **Constantine: Doll, how are you walking? *smirks and nuzzles into her neck* I thought you would be bed-ridden for at least two days after your punishment last time . . . . . *smiles sarcastically at Alex* Hello, cunt.**

 **Ringu: *tilts head and stares at Cherise and Elis* You both seem . . . . . familiar . . . . .**

 **Yorra: *tears well up in her eyes* A-All this for, fur, fir, for m-m-m-me? QwQ**

 **Yup, Yorra, though you don't need to see what'll happen now . . . . .**

 **Yorra: Huh? *teleported away***

 **Tommy: It's her fault . . . . . . IT'S HER FAULT!**

 **Jamie: *hides behind Mookie* Would you rather I LEFT IT IN THAT PILE OF SHIT, YOU BITCH?! . . . I mean, I didn't mean that, I didn't, YOU FUCKING KNOW I HAVE TOURETTES-*shuts up***

 **Tommy: I'm not sorry for my actions. You should've locked the door.**

 **Ayumu: *pales and slowly tries to slip away***

 **Tala: *puts a hand on Mookie's shoulder and* Personally, I like masala chai.**

 **Kurumi: Such lowly emotions are beneath God, heathen. I can merely tolerate her a little more than the other impoverished bugs. *grabs cookies and finishes them in 5 seconds* God is pleased.**

 **. . . . . Mookie, go sleep. NOW. FUCKING REST. (but thanks for the review! :D)**

To Little Knight Mik:

 **Nah, it doesn't matter that much. Life keeps us busy enough as it is. But really, thanks for reviewing! :D I appreciate it!**

 **Jamie: Eh? Is it that FUCKING RARE YOU STUPID LITTLE lady?**

 **Asriel: I wouldn't say I'm . . . . . . . possessed, actually. More like . . . . . two-souled?**

 **?: And I'M gonna take over VERY SOON.**

 **Nyx: -_- No, you're not.**

 **Yorra: *gives a sad smile* Is, iz, int, it's okay re-re-really . . . . . I-I-I-I-I-I have friends ear, hean, here wi-wit-wit-with me. :) B-B-B-B-But thank ye, yo, yi, you for wor-worry-worried-worrying. / A-A-A-A-And yo, ye, yi, you can hu-hu-hu-hug me . . . . . . . I-I-I-I mean! If you wa-want.**

 **Aria: 'Tis waz outta me choice, 'kay~? Stahp critsizin' – YE created meh~.**

 **Mihai: Ne, are you only worried about Yorry? You are, you are! :( What about us? *looks adorably sad***

 **Nah, at least you reviewed. :) Appreciate it, really. See ya next time!**

To PotatoInUrFace:

 **XD He he but it doesn't seem that extreme to me! Thanks for fighting the battle with laziness (I know what an extremely tough enemy it is to defeat) and continuing to support this story with your fabulous reviews! :D It's really nice of you!**

 **And finally . . . . . SOME ONE realizes! QwQ**

 **Aria: I'd rader ye dint yell 'bout mah pas' mistake ta all folks~.**

 **Robin: None of your business, vegetable.**

 **Aria: . . . . . . 'Tiz not de lassie frum de las chappie~.**

 **Mihai: You can count on us? *w* Of course you can, of course you can!**

 **XD I know right? The OCs for this story (pardon me if I sound too arrogant) are totally on a different level!**

 **Ayumu: *backs away very quickly* O.O Holy shiz, dude, ya One-Eye's cous' or summin'?! How'd ya know?**

 **Garrick and Yorra: TT-TT A-At least we're safe from detention THIS time . . . . . . .**

 **Thanks a lot for the compliments! More precisely, it's the fun storm before the dark storm. ;D**

 **Asriel: ;) IKR? My powers are AWESOME.**

 **Eris: ;P Well, well, someone's behaving modest. Ouch!**

 **Nyx: *twists Eris' ear* Thank you for the compliment. ^.^ And looks like you've found my Essence.**

 **Potato, man, you're scaring me. QwQ How will I build any mystery if you keep on figuring everyone's Essence left and right?**

 **Haejin:** ***I'M NOT A DORK! -***

 **Ayumi: I-I-I-I-I'M SO SORRY! QwQ I-I-I-I caused you t-t-t-t-to be sar-sar-sarcastic . . . . It's all . . . . IT'S ALL MY FAULT! *runs away***

 **Madeleine: -_-; That boy . . . . . . . .**

 **Shurik: *takes a long drag on his cigarette* Man, what a bother.**

 **Karios: *just gives a wise smile to Potato***

 **Haejin:** **':P You're WRONG. . . . . Not totally, but still.'**

 **Q: *glares at Potato* SO?! YOU GOT A PROBLEM?!**

 **Potato-san, I should be the one to thank you for sending a character as wonderful as Jamie – I don't think there's any author foolish enough NOT to accept him. ^.^ Stop being so grateful – he was very well-written.**

 **Jamie: You feel FUCKING SORRY FOR THAT LITTLE Arry?! WHAT ABOUT ME?!**

 **Aran: *bows deep and smiles this really frigid, mechanical smile* Thank you. Your chivalry is deeply appreciated.**

 **Tommy: *whispers in Aran's ear* Ah, Arry, I don't think 'chivalry' is the right word . . . . .**

 **Tala: Dead is me, Me is Dead. I am called Dead because in reality, I'm actually the Death Reaper so I thought, why not go for a simple nickname and Dead came up. Cool, ain't it? *pops bubblegum* Kidding, dude. I'm Tala Wilson. *offers foot* Nice to meet ya.**

 **You got there before I could update Potato-san – a remarkable feat indeed. (JK . . . . if you want it to be) Thanks for the review!**

To R.J. Niner:

 **Your review was fortunately not lost, Pocky – and thank you SOOOOOOOOOOO much for leaving two reviews for this chapter! QwQ I can see that you put a lot of hard work into it**

To Thedaffodilqueen:

 **You don't need to apologize, really! But thanks for reviewing – it makes me really happy to know what your thoughts are on the story.**

 **Madeleine: ^_^ Thank you. Your words are kind.** _ **(*stares suspiciously at daffodil*)**_ **And yes, I do have some intelligence since my IQ is 185.**

 **-w- Show off.**

 **Madeleine: -_-;**

 **Aria: Me woun't be hurar all~.**

 **Robin: You would be on a fucking hospital bed.**

 **Mihai: Their fights are fun, you know? Really, really, they are! :D I'll show you one someday!**

 **Garrick: Wey led a har'life.**

 **Yorra: B-B-B-B-But thank-thank-thank-thankfully no one got, git, get, gut, get hurt.**

 **Aria: *slightly blushes* H-Hey, w-we ain't watch ye dinkin'-**

 **Yorra: :_(**

 **Aria: B-But we're buddies, 'kay~?!**

 **Yorra: ^/^**

 **Thank you for the review!**

To AncientUnicorn:

 **Nah, it's really okay, you don't need to review every chapter! I'm sorry for introducing Tommy so late but HERE HE IS! :D TA-DA!**

 **Jamie: So it was you! TT-TT You FUCKING BITCH HOW FUCKING DARE YOU why did you do that?! WHY?! Do you know how much HUMILIATION I HAVE TO SUFFER YOU TIGHT PRICK?!**

 **Tommy with Ara . . . .? O.o Slow down, slow down! They aren't paired up yet!**

 **Tommy: O/O Y-YOU GUYS ARE MISUNDERSTANDING!**

 **Aran: *smiles that creepy smile again* As much as I am fond of Tommy as a friend, I have no romantic interest in him – or anybody for that matter.**

 **XD Oh boy, I don't think I should tell fans that Aran's straight, should I?**

 **Aran: Lead him on? *shows checklist* I was following instructions.**

 **Tala: Arry, the heading is 'How to Comfort Your Girlfriend.' And Tommy is not your girlfriend.**

 **Tommy: BUT FIRST OF ALL, I'M A GUY!**

 **Aran: Oh.**

 **Jamie: *epic facepalm***

 **Tala: Dead is my nickname, frying sharks and eating them is my game. *salutes***

 **Everybody loves the Weird 4 a lot. ;D And don't worry, deaths are gonna occur . . . . . from around Ep. 25. XD**

 **Lykke: My name is Raven Wulfric.**

 ***leans in and whispers* Her real name is Lykke Raven Frost though.**

 **Lykke: -_- I heard that. And Mr. Unicorn, I would appreciate it if you would instil some values of privacy and organization in your child. I have no business with how he keeps his room but I would appreciate it if he would stop damaging the property of the school and the students. ^_^ If you don't do anything, I may have to take matters into my own hands and I cannot guarantee your son's safety.**

 **Tommy: COME AT ME, YOU SYMMETRIC BITCH! I'LL FIX YOU FOR SURE! *takes fighting stance***

 **Jamie: QwQ We're gonna die . . . . . .**

 **Barbie: Is that so? *grins hugely***

 **Unicorn-san, you shouldn't have said that . . . . . . . Now go run! And thanks for the revi-! *bomb explodes near Unicorn***

To Kiyumie:

 **Klary, as gentle as ever I see.**

 **Robin and Aria: *snap* Mind your/yer own business~.**

 **Ayumu: Kid, I'mma close to punching ya. Didn't like that chara.**

 **TING TING TING TING TING~! And Kiyumie wins . . . . . . . . AIR AS A PRIZE! :D What gave it away? The hair, the eyes, the demon or the greenhouse? XD Or everything?**

 **Eris: Ye haf no'dea.**

 **Haejin: *pouts*** **I just get a little shy.** **-/-**

 **Madeleine: ^_^;** _ **(He's still pretty gorgeous though).**_

 **Kurumi: They are heathens God can tolerate just a little more than normal garbage.**

 **Q: You conceited little p, you think you're very-GODDAMN IT, THAT HURTS!**

 **Kurumi: -_-**

 **Lykke: *shakes head* She thinks of us as friends . . . . . . I'm 85% sure . . . . .**

 **You don't wanna know the back story, Klary. But then again . . . . . it will be coming soon. ;) So be patient please.**

 **Aran: ^_^ Yes, I do. *nods awkw**


	8. Ep6 - hArD hItTiNg PuNcHeS

**~ Author's Note ~**

 **I completed the episode 10 days ago but I wanted to update today because it is the birthday of my very good friend, R.J. Niner. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU POCKY DARLING! Now you're closer to death by one year (XD) but don't let that stop you from creating wonderful stories and spreading your talent amongst everyone! For fans who adore the genre of mystery, crime and romance, you don't need to go to further because R.J. Niner here excels in all three of them! Actually, add comedy to the list to!**

 **Happy Birthday once again, beloved Pocky! Enjoy the day!**

 **So, today's Question of the Day is from Rose Rain 7! (My beloved Fa-chan *kisses*) And it is:**

' **Does your crush know you like them?'**

 **Yorra: E-EHHHHHHH?! O/O M-M-M-M-M-My cr-crus-cruz-crush kn, knowi, knowen, known, knowing-*faints***

 **Garrick: I-I hope nawt . . . . . . . -/-;**

 **Jamie: TT-TT She does . . . . . but the problem is . . . . . she has no idea what it even is . . . . . .**

 **Ayumu: FUCKIN' HELL! Damn, no, no, NO! *rapidly shakes head***

 **Lykke: I don't think so . . . . . . .**

 **Nyx: *links hands with Asriel* ^_^ Thankfully, the feelings are mutual.**

 **Asriel: ;) I'm lucky that my Queen likes me back.**

 ***w* Love is such a beautiful thing, isn't it?! I remember, the first time I had it-**

 **Q: Nobody wants to listen to you.**

 **TT-TT Okay . . . . . .**

 **Madeleine: *awkwardly coughs* Now with this, we commence the 6** **th** **episode of Alter Earth: (IN)Sanity. Please enjoy! ^_^**

 **Q: Nobody likes your fake smiles either.**

 **Madeleine: =_= Somebody needs to be pushed down a rabbit hole.**

 **P.S: Vivianne's name is spelle E. No N. The error is regretted.**

 **~ Ep. 6 – hArD-hItTiNg PuNcHeS ~**

Q watched as the duo of femme fatales parted from him on the first floor to the staircase leading below – Lykke turned back and offered him a short wave and a smile before following the stoic, unbothered Kurumi, her long crimson hair trailing after her in the light breeze. _12_ _th_ _May._ His mismatched gaze was fixed to the small back of Kurumi, her oversized strait jacket a loose mess on her bony frame and the elaborate helmet hiding her face from the prying eyes of society. The fact that he, Lykke and Mami were the only ones who knew what she looked under the mask gave him some sort of strange . . . . . satisfaction? It was almost like . . . . . they were fri-

" _Nobody will ever like a pathetic individual like you, Reid."_

' _Of course'_ he smiled to himself, turning around and making his way to classes, Lykke and Kurumi's footsteps slowly fading through his ears. _'What am I even thinking?'_ His smile was bitter and pitiful, like a forceful grin plastered on the face of an old, forgotten toy. As he slowly waded through the devoid corridors, students having immediately rushed to classes after the first bell had rung, he made a right turn to enter a rather noisy area, littered with translucent glass doors of the classrooms. Walking ahead, he slid open the door of the third classroom on the right – only to be smacked in the face with a thick book that slammed hard into his nose and forehead, making the short boy fall back and tumble to the floor.

There was a rush of footsteps and hurried words of "Hayir-I mean, evet-Shit, fuck, no-No, God damn it!" As blood trailed down his nose and his head spun all over the place, Q's eyes focused on a hulking figure jogging towards him, babbling "Hey, are you oka-oh, it's _you._ " The erupting concern in the voice dissipated into a wispy mass of nonchalance and the figure, who now the short boy could recognize as Ayumu Burakgazi, a dirty spot on the image of female species and a masculine b*censored* he had to see every day. She gyrated on her heels and began screaming "How dare ya' dodge, cunt?! I'mma punch a hole, no, a crater on the wall with your body!"

"Oi, b!" Q jumped up from the floor and rampaged into the classroom, his small body shaking with anger, his black bangs shadowing a boiling gaze. Ayumu turned back only half of her body, looking annoyed as he screamed "First, you throw an F-ING HISTORY BOOK on me. Then, you don't even bother to apologize properly and lastly, TURN AWAY! I'm gonna scald your thick flesh!"

"Oi, oi" she guttered an animalistic growl, her narrow eyes narrowing further into thin slits "I said sorry, panda. No need to twist your knickers." Giggles erupted in the classroom and Aria, who Q would bet his Essence on was the original target of that book, had amusement dancing in her visible lavender eye.

"Don't make me carve into your skin" he hissed, inching dangerously near – he was very, VERY close to carrying out his threat.

"Yeah, yeah, later, panda" she brushed him off before turning to a looming orange-head, cracking her knuckles. "I need to deal, yeah, with a certain piece of cocky shit first. He groaned at her choice of words, grabbing the ears of his panda cap and (rather adorably) pressing them on his ears. Some of the students in class watching him visibly blushed – before looking away when he shot them poisonous glares.

"~I gif ye points foh pressin' on~" Aria drawled, swinging her own lanky arms in a matter of show "~But can ye 'pend on dose flimsy skills of yers, Brakkgassi?~" She smirked in a dastardly way and added for more effect "Who knoz, ye may hit one oh' yer kids dis time, right?~"

"YA ASSHOLE!" Ayumu bellowed before she rushed towards the skinny girl, her pupils having dilated into tiny dots and teeth bared, strong legs creating loud raps against the tiled floor as her form blazed forward, reminiscent to that of an enraged gorilla. Many students rushed away from her point of view and huddled to the sides, scared but excited while there were some lunatics who were lazily eyeing the terrifying young woman, sleeping, singing or making origami flowers on the desk. Aria braced herself, trying to tap into her mind but:

" _HITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHITHIT!"_

' _Darn, she ain't thinkin'!'_ Aria barely dodged to the left as Ayumu's punch broke the wooden desk she was standing in front of into two pieces – and she wasn't even using her Essence! Garrick and Haejin looked on worriedly from the background, both wondering how they were gonna calm down their Mama Bear while Robin looked totally nonchalant sitting at the last desk, feet folded up on a table, hands clutched behind his head and music blaring in his ears. His crimson eyes were focused intently on the brunette, reading her form, watching closely as she punched wildly around the area, hitting Aria twice but the one-eyed girl clenched her teeth and tried to hold back the pain.

A normal person would've collapsed on the floor with a single punch from Ayumu. Rivers was tough meat.

Haejin tugged on Garrick's sleeve and the bespectacled male did not need words to know what his mute friend was saying – _'We need to stop her before something like last time happens!'_ The British male gulped in fright – last time, Nyx had interfered and stopped Ayumu before she could destroy the gymnasium but currently, the President was nowhere to seen. And Garrick very well knew his Essence was the most suitable in the situation to stop the raging girls. But the problem was . . . . . . .

Aria took a smashing hit straight on the nose and she growled loudly, like a bitten lion but before she could fall back, she grabbed Ayumu's right breast and squeezed mercilessly, causing the brunette to yelp with a pitiful wail before she pinched the skin on her opponent's arm and the orange-haired girl was forced to back off. The skinny teen's nose was now a bloodied mess as she tried to stop the flow by pressing her arm against it while the other girl looked to be in acute pain, applying pressure on her assaulted body part with an arm. Garrick thought that now, while the girls were distracted with filling their lungs with enough oxygen to recharge for another round, maybe he could sneak up on them and-

"ENOUGH, GIRLS!" Suddenly, two chairs on the front desks levitated up from the floor and twisting convulsively, their broad structures straightened into long, thin and flexible whips – and within a flash, they had wrapped themselves tightly around the growling females, restricting their movements. Losing balance, the skinny Aria collapsed to the floor but Ayumu somehow managed to keep her equilibrium, though even with best efforts of her struggling biceps, the ropes remained fastened.

"So Mr. Gay is here" Robin mumbled, closing even his open eye and leaning back on the chair, hands folded behind his head. Garrick, knowing the situation was now under control, sweat-dropped and returned to his seat next to his roommate.

"I HEARD THAT, YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" the newly arrived person screamed at the brunet, a rather beautiful specimen of the male species – long, lean legs despite his average height, beautifully cerulean slicked back hair, shining golden eyes which, despite his apparent Asian ethnicity, were quite wide and round and a slightly baby-ish face which still hadn't lost its innocence.

"Oh now, did you?" Robin quipped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to hear it at all, Kim." Garrick sweat-dropped even more – why was he friends with the British boy again?

Kim's pale skin boiled red and with shaking fists, he cried "YOU-"

"~I'd lyk ta bu freed na' if ye dun mind" Aria, who sat cross-legged on the floor, demanded, trying to get up on her knees – her nose was bleeding rather terribly, thick droplets of blood trailing over her lips and chin and dripping to the marbled floor. Ayumu was breathing hard, her body bent forward like she was about to puke but all that erupted from her thin lips were ragged breaths.

Kim snapped his fingers and immediately, Aria was free – the first thing she did was hold her bleeding nose and excuse herself from class. He stared at Ayumu, her frizzy locks matted all over her light brown face, plastered with thin trails of sweat. "Blakgrazi, I'll be freeing you now, 'kay? Don't run out and try to strangle Rivers." He silently gestured Garrick and Haejin to restrain her if things came to it so the two males stood beside her on alert and nodded at each other – they'd done this enough times to remember the whole procedure now.

Code BHRC. Bind Hold Restrain Calm.

The ropes slid off and moulded itself into a chair again, levitating back to its original place and down came Ayumu, still breathing hard, her blue tunic very wrinkled and a small ribbon had detached itself from the back of her brown flats during the scuffle. Garrick bent down beside her and with a tentative hand, smoothed her shoulder "Yu, ye 'right?"

When it seemed like her answer were only her ragged breaths, she nodded twice and husked "Yeah, I'mma be okay." She stared at him and grinned "I've had far worse, you know." The bespectacled teen smiled at her before offering a hand and she slammed her palm down on it hard, wincing a little while standing up on her knees. "I didn't . . . . . . . hurt anyone, I hope?" she mumbled rather anxiously, her narrow eyes widening when she saw the few blood drops on the wooden floor.

"Reevuhz" he answered truthfully.

Ayumu went into thought for awhile before shrugging "Meh. She never counted." It was at the same moment that Aria re-entered class, a bandage over her nose and her face wet but her visible eye seemed to hold a scary light in it which made the people staring at her immediately avert their gazes. She stared straight ahead, the calmness on her face looking superficial and suppressing the immense rage she felt – however, she glided past Ayumu and the others and sat down on her chair in the first bench, quiet and unyielding.

"Both of you are suspended to detention for a week" Kim announced in an angry voice, folding the sleeves of his dress shirt to his elbows – Ayumu sighed (she was expecting it anyway) while Aria did not make a sound and just stared at her History book for the period. "From what I heard, you already have one today with Sawyer and Florescu. So enjoy the week." He gave a sweet, sarcastic smile before settling down the students to start class.

However, before Haejin could sit down in his place, he felt a fierce tug on his arm. "Tell your Mama Bear that she won't have an arm to throw the next time she provokes me" Q growled, looking so feral despite his petite appearance that Haejin just quietly nodded, slightly intimidated. Sitting down on his bench, he thanked God for letting him have such a long life – unlucky people wouldn't have been able to survive with Reid QuiYan Bai for so long.

"Alright, kids!" Kim announced, clapping his hands before flipping open the thick book somewhere in the middle. "We'll continue where we left of yesterday on page eighty-five: the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in 1962 when the Russian . . . . . ."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Are you nervous?" Lykke had folded her arms behind her back in a casual manner, barely being able to thwart Madeleine's attention away from the terrible blisters with the excuse of having accidentally dipped her palms in boiling water while taking a bath. _So half-true._ The blonde seemed to have calmed down but not before asking her several times if she'd like to see a nurse or get the wounds wrapped since they were . . . . . . . . . disturbingly painful.

And so, she'd fabricated another elaborate, convincing lie, finally getting the sixteen-year old off her case. Of course, she was secretly thrilled that Madeleine seemed so worried for her, the way her thin brows furrowed in fret when she stared at her palms and her voice tinged with anxiety. She was very, VERY thrilled.

"Not really, no" Madeleine replied with cool confidence, smiling sweetly at the redhead who was slowly starting to get in her good books – despite holding an abject similarity to Vivianne Frost, who she loathed to the deepest pits of hell, Raven was well-spoken, mannered and pleasant to be around, not to mention, exquisitely pretty. "Should I be?" she asked in a playful tone, giggling lithely after her statement. She hoped that the both of them could become friends.

"You very well should" Lykke's smile curled at the tips and the blonde's eyes momentarily widened. The redhead shook her head, crimson locks fluttering around her face, before she added "Kidding, I'm just kidding . . . . . . ."

 _(I'm nervous though. I'm really, REALLY nervous)._ Seniors at Goethals adored her – she enjoyed basking in the glow of their affection and admiration, despite being a Junior. But the people here . . . . . . . they were unpredictable. It could've only been her vile, foul, cruel luck playing tricks and thwarting her original plans: she had originally planned to work her way from the lower classes to the higher ones but as fate had it, her very first day and she was supposed to share it with the only senior class in school.

Her mind rushed through all the people she'd contacted yet – the mysterious Aria, the hot (and hot-headed) Robin, the floating girl with the weird clothes and mask, the boy with the murderous gaze, the fragile Ayumi, the adorable Evan, the demure Yorra, the creepy Mihai, the chirpy Atlas and her stoic brother Anton and finally . . . . . .

She momentarily gazed at Raven through her peripheral vision – she was impenetrable, someone who had holed herself up inside an unbreakable mask. Madeleine was no fool – she realized what games the redhead was playing with her but currently, her mind was preoccupied with more important things. Things like this school.

"We're here" it was Raven's voice which snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to see a glass classroom door, simply designed but holding an ancient charm with its gothic artwork. She could hear a low murmur of voices originate from inside with a rather sharp-pitched one dominating over all of them – the redhead turned towards her and instructed "Wait here. I shall inform the teacher."

The blonde nodded, her heart speeding up dangerously – what kind of fate waited for her behind that door? Would she run into the arms of good luck or was bad luck waiting to embrace her?

"Viel Gluck(1)." Her face widened into shock when she felt the briefest warmth of contact, initiated by Raven, around her body – had the redhead . . . . . . . had she just . . . . .

HUGGED her?!

"Danke(2)" she barely had time to utter her double-sided gratefulness before Raven walked in, her long, crimson hair flowing after her, the door shutting after. Madeleine felt a smile, small but genuine, inhabit her face for a few seconds before she returned back to her cool, charismatic grin – one she'd sculpted for her long-awaited introduction to her temporary schoolmates.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When he heard the class door open, Garrick had no idea that his breath would catch in his throat and his heart would thunder hard against his ribcage – the first thing he noticed about her were the deep crimson locks which flowed down in perfectly uneven waves. They always hovered in his dreams, her soft, silky hair, vibrant in the pale sunlight. His metallic eyes, hidden perceptively behind square Versace, climbed to her face, admiring the stainless, alabaster skin. And then, he noticed her eyes – so brilliantly green and round in their innocence, framed by thickly curled lashes. He could stare into her eyes forever and ever and ever . . . . . . . . .

Raven took her usual seat beside the window, ignoring Kim who was yelling at her and stared out – but no matter how much she suppressed it, Garrick had noted the faint uplift in the corners of her pink lips. And he wondered what had started off her day so nicely.

Q had definitely been surprised that Lykke had decided to come to class because of their aforementioned plan – had Mami caught her on the way? After all, even Lykke could not disobey the old matriarch and for the moment, he thought it was the most possible theory anyway. He occupied the extreme left of the class in the last bench, far away from his red-haired friend so he decided to ask her at lunch. Suddenly, he saw Haejin, who sat one seat ahead in the next row, pass him his drawing copy. **'Garrick's pretty happy today since Raven decided to come. XD You know why she didn't skip today too?'**

"What am I, her nanny?" he barked in a hushed whisper. "Annoy Rivers about that." Haejin frowned sadly at him **':('** before turning ahead again, listening to a talking Ayumu – who was most likely bitching about Aria or teasing Garrick. Q sighed quietly, lying his face between folded arms – God, his roommate was starting to grate his nerves. And his heart.

Aria, sitting on the very first desk in the middle row, smirked in spite of the pain in her bandaged nose – Lykke was thinking some very, VERY interesting thoughts. She discreetly looked over her shoulder at Garrick, who was trying to fend off the wolfish looks of his friends. _'Pwoh la' . . . . .'_

" _Somebody_ must be elated" Ayumu grinned as she stared at the male sitting a few metres to her direct left, her anger now ebbed as she lay her cheek against the cool wooden tabletop. Her bangs had been pushed back by a shiny golden hair band which had too much glitter for her liking but she couldn't really complain. Haejin, sitting behind her, noiselessly giggled before lifting up his drawing book – Garrick wished he hadn't caught sight of it since he turned as scarlet as his crush's hair.

The South Korean had drawn cutely chibi pictures of him and Lykke holding hands.

"Missur Kim, Haej'n an' Yumu ah dyzturin' me" his hand shot up and his glasses tinkled with a cruel light when he made the accusations – both his friends gave him shocked looks before the same whips from before struck both of them on the head. The purple-haired male pouted with tears in the corner of his eyes but the brunette cussed out aloud – and received another whack.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she hissed – God, if Kim weren't a teacher but a mere student like her, his ass would've been grass LONG ago.

"Gut to see" he nodded, thin lips drawn into a straight line. "And I'm also happy to note that you decided to join us today, Ms. Wulfric" he turned his deadpanned expression towards Lykke, who shifted her gaze away from the window and rested her eyes on him.

"I was merely fulfilling my duty of showing the new student the way to class." Garrick felt his heart burn up when he heard the soft melody echo through the classroom. Kim's jaw dropped open and he went outside the classroom, leading the students to burst into cacophony again.

"I thought she'd be younger than us." Ayumu looked rather excited about the new student as she spoke to Robin.

"Who cares, really?" he muttered, lost in the world of Aerosmith, feet laid up on the table and hands folded up behind his head like a boss.

"Hey, don't be like that!" Ayumu retorted, a little irritated with his behaviour. "Aren't you a little happy to meet a new classmate?!"

"A little" Robin smirked, opening a scarlet eye to look at the female near him. "She's cute, after all."

A depressed aura hung over the brunette as she slumped over her desk. _'I'm not that excited to see her now . . . . . .'_ Haejin, ever the gentleman, patted her reassuringly on the back. Meanwhile, Garrick was discreetly staring at Raven from behind the frames of his glasses, happy but curious . . . . .

Why had she come to class?

The chatter in the room subsided when Kim re-entered but held the door ajar with a hand, a pleased smile on his handsome face. "Class, please welcome your new friend-"

 _(It's time)._

"-Madeleine Kasner."

Q slowly looked up, lifting his face from his folded arms; Lykke felt her lips curl up; Garrick stared at the blonde, deciding again she didn't hold a candle to Raven and then noted the slight smile on the girl's face; Ayumu softly gasped at how pretty she was and her cheeks slightly reddened; Haejin beamed and waved at his recent friend; Robin stared through lowered eyelids as she walked to the middle of the class; Aria removed her cheek from her palm and smirked at the various feelings going through the new girl's mind.

Madeleine stood in the middle of the spacious classroom, feeling more nervous than she'd planned. Admiring the craft of the wooden walls, she addressed the crowd of lunatics with a genial smile and spoke "Good morning, everyone. I am Madeleine Kasner, a representative from Goethals Academy and will be joining all of you for a month. I hope we can get along."

There was Aria, sitting in the first bench in all the glory of her badly dyed orange hair, her stoic face hiding unreadable emotions. Haejin, charming as ever, offered her another dazzling smile, waving at her. Robin sat at the very back of the class, looking every inch of his bad-boy persona with feet up on the table and headphones clamped around his ears – his red eyes were intense and a fleeting clash with them sent intense shivers down her spine. Moving from his scarlet, her eyes landed on Raven's crimson mane, delicately hanging down her slender frame, eyes refusing to meet hers for some reason. These were the only people she was familiar with.

Every head in the classroom was different from those she recognized in the elite Goethals – here, several troubled pairs of eyes had their gazes peering on her or locked far away, present in a different world. Heavy bags were present under the eyes of some while a boy in the class had a very strange, ritualistic black tattoo engraved on the left side of his face. An African girl with a shaved head had drool seeping down one side of her open mouth, her eyes glazed. A male with long, black hair had black ribbons tied around his face in an intricate pattern.

 _(Creepy in ALL CAPS)._

There were more.

A young boy who sat beside Haejin, on the extreme left, his mismatched eyes burning with terrifying ferocity as they left Goosebumps on her skin. His skin seemed to have been the culmination of some lab experiment with various shades stitched together – and his punk clothing only made him stand out more. When their eyes met for the briefest second, she was afraid he might lunge out at her from how hardened his posture was but he tore his gaze away.

On the other side of Haejin sat a fairly large girl, strong-boned but with a cute face which was crowned by her poor excuse of walnut-coloured hair. When Madeleine smiled at her, the girl coloured up and stared down at her thick textbook – making the blonde inwardly chuckle. She was used to blushes from girls and it made her faintly happy. She already liked the brunette.

Next to the girl was a male with an aristocratic, poised aura around him, more suited for the atmosphere of Goethals then for . . . . . this school. With cerulean hair framing his angular face in silky locks and metallic grey eyes hidden behind glasses, the boy was rather beautiful – but his attention already seemed to be taken up by someone else. Madeleine had to stop herself from smirking when she noted the look in his eyes as he gazed at Raven. _(This is . . . . . interesting)._

They were all she noticed before the hot Asian teacher had taken her arm and was guiding her to her seat.

Which was right in the middle of the classroom. Beside Aria. _(FUCK THIS. OUT OF THE FIVE EMPTY BENCHES, I HAVE TO SIT BESIDE THE FUCKING MIND-READER?!)_

"Now that you know your new classmate" Kim seemed to be happy to get back to the Cuban Missile Crisis "We can return to our chapter again! Now, Maddy darling-" The blonde was internally shaken from her new seat but nevertheless, smiled at the teacher. "-I suppose you shall not be lost if we skip the beginning?"

"I've read about it before, Lehrer (4)" she showcased perfect manners by standing up in her seat while being addressed by a teacher – not like it mattered much in this class. "I assure you I will keep up."

"Good!" Kim clapped his hands, pleased, since he wasn't used to being shown respect by his students except a few. But his smile soon dipped into a frown as she sighed "Now if only Lowell, Thompson, Daitoryu and Wilson would care to join us . . ."

 _(That's a lot of bunkers)._ She remembered Ayumi Daitoryu, The Boy Who Fainted, and wondered if he was still in the infirmary. She did not recognize the other three though.

' **I'm worried about Rayne.'** Ayumu stared at the note from Haejin, noting the worried crease of his lavender eyebrows. Reading further **'She's usually very punctual. I wonder if something happened?'**

"Don't worry" she whispered, trying to evade Kim's gaze. "Lena's with her. Besides, what could possibly happen in school?"

"A school for psychos, you mean." Robin had apparently decided to put his headphones around his neck and get his feet off the table but was none the more focused as he fiddled around with a pen.

"Methinks we shud go an checkon 'em durin' de small break" Garrick intervened. "I dun thin-"

"AND if a certain group of detention residents could shut up." At the word 'detention', the bespectacled teen gulped and immediately zipped his lips close. Kim, having overused his pointed glares today, sighed and continued "The Russian Leader Nikita Khrushchev and his advisers decided to . . . . . ."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lena stared at Aran's retreating back as he made his way further down the first floor hallway, his robotic farewell still playing in her ears. Even in a place like this, he was an odd little freak – handsome but odd nonetheless. No one ever knew what was stored in his encrypted mind and except for a handful of people, the students preferred to stay away from him as much as possible. Even the lunatics knew that Nielsen was not someone to be messed with. She could still feel the silent chills her body had prickling all over – the Danish boy had a dangerous aura around him. She was not one of those wary, untrusting types but she couldn't really say that she felt fully safe around him.

As soon as she walked into class, she was greeted by a furious Cataleya. "Lena!" the Hispanic woman turned to her, her fake cat ears crinkling themselves in anger. Gosh, how much did Lena hate that screechy pitch she called her voice. "This is the second period and from what Cly-I mean" she broke out into a momentary blush before rapidly shaking her head and scowling again "Mr. Frost told me, you missed first period!" Launching into an unwanted rant, she continued "I never expected this from you, Lena! You always were decent in class and got nice grades but I think-"

"Ms. Cataleya!" unable to take it anymore and knowing that the woman was not gonna stop sometime soon, the fifteen-year old held out the late excuse note written by Dr. Shurik in both palms. The Latina quirked out a hip and as she read the words:

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Lena!" her manicured hands flew to her mouth as she realized her mistake. Cataleya hugged the girl and rubbing their cheeks together, whined "I'm so sorry, the possibility that you could be in the infirmary didn't occur to me at all since you rarely get into accidents! But how did you get into one, dear girl? Did someone hurt you?" Placing her hands on the shoulders of the sweat-dropping blonde, she announced with fiery eyes "If they did, I'm gonna make that person pay!"

"I-It's nothing like that, Ms. Cataleya." Lena's golden skin was staining into a red with embarrassment as she could feel all eyes of the class on her – and not in the way she liked. This woman was so annoying! Ever since her first day in the school, she'd never liked her for some unknown reason – adults had never been her favourite creatures but there was always a strong sense of repulsion the Greek girl felt for her Hispanic teacher. Of course, nobody had an inkling of this. It was one of the many secrets she kept to herself. "I just got into a minor accident, really." Somehow, she was able to get away from the woman-girl's grating embrace.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest in the infirmary?" Cataleya worriedly asked, feeling guilty for exploding into a rant at her innocent student.

"No, really, I'm fine." Wouldn't somebody save her from this rabid cat?!

"Ms. Cataleya, just stop your DRAMATIC VOMIT-PRONE and get on with the lesson already." Jamie's left eye twitched uncontrollably and he was drumming the fingers of both his hands erratically on the table, his right shoulder moving up and down in short jerks. Cataleya slight panicked when she saw the Tourette-afflicted student's movements so she quickly sent away Lena to her seat and decided to move on with her lesson: Robert Frost's applauded work 'The Road Not Taken.'

"Thank you, Jamie" Lena gave a sweet smile to the blue-haired boy as she passed by his desk. His milky skin blushed into a rose red and not trusting his mouth, he just nodded at the beauty. The young girl was pleased as she took her seat on the third desk in the middle row; she had not lost her touch. Aran Nielsen was probably just asexual.

"The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost." Having lost all sense of her immaturity and playfulness, Cataleya now spoke in a sombre, melodic voice which had a captivating affect on the young fourteen and fifteen year olds – from the very first day since they'd noticed a personality change in their teacher, it had always been a mesmerizing moment to watch her teach. For all the hyper woman-child she was outside her lessons, she could teach literature in a beautiful way.

But before she could even begin, an enthusiastic hand shot up in class. "Yes, Mihai?" Cataleya sighed, looking to be on the verge of tears from how many interruptions she was facing that day.

"Why is the poem's title in the negative?" his large, golden eyes blinked blindingly from his innocent face. "Is it because he was a pessimist? He was a pessimist?" Some of the students sighed and face-palmed. Such questions were quite a staple from the fourteen-year old.

"No, Mihai, he was not a pessimist" Cataleya sighed, looking for the best words to describe to the snow-haired boy.

"Then why? Yes, yes WHY?!"

"Oi, Florescu, SHUT YOUR FUCKING TRAP and let her speak" Jamie gritted, getting annoyed – literature class was the only class he really liked. And a bipolar, clingy, babbling idiot was disrupting it.

"Did we just hear a chicken cluck?" the boy asked himself, not losing the eerie grin on his face. "Yes, we did, we did!"

"You hearing weird voices? I'm hearing them too." Jamie interjected, looking calm enough, save for the head rolls he was having. "I just heard the annoying chirping of a creepy little FUCKER WHO HIDES BEHIND FEMALE SKIRTS." He placed a finger over his lips and mockingly gasped with wide eyes "I'm sorry, Florescu, I didn't mean that."

"We're okay, Gumby" Mihai sweetly smiled back. "We're really sure God didn't mean your existence either! Didn't mean it either!"

Lena, along with most of the class AND the teacher, stared hard.

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The afternoon sun was bright, too bright for the German sky but it did not matter much really. Heavy downpour with the grey skies crying salty tears on the summery green grass was the typical weather during scenes like this – at least, on TV.

Kurumi overlooked the Gothic palatial design of Mami's School for the Socially Troubled, all its spiralling minarets, black stone walls, ancient archways sprawled in front of her eyes, revealing all thirty-eight of its forty-one nook and crannies to the overseeing eyes of the hilltop she stood upon. The Hilltop Gardens, most students called this place though she refused to use the nickname – Elevation Point sounded far more logical and practical instead of a dreamy, moronic title like 'Hilltop Gardens.' An amalgamation of a few flowering plants did not make it a garden.

Besides, gardens did not have graves.

Once she'd finished draining the metallic container of every last drop of coke, she levitated it on her right palm – and, with a slight constriction of her fingers, it exploded into millions of tiny pieces, vaporizing through the air like silver dust. The particles, having exploded at the molecular level, had no physical remnants left so she didn't have to worry about littering in front of her parents' graves.

 **Taketatsu Kayano.**

 **Kirigaya Kamito.**

She finished reading the engraved letters through her visors for the 116th time in her young life of fourteen years (young but not unwise) before peeling herself away – the obituaries below those names held no sort of meaning for her. They were merely repeated words stamped upon grave after grave, lacking originality and meaning, a dry reminder that lives would always remain stuck in the endless loophole of recycling and replacement. There was no value for life, really – people mourned you for a few weeks and then, it was back to their own existences, back to struggling another day and back to their own problems. Because the dead were dead and the alive would be caught in the cruel trap of life if they didn't fight through.

As her straitjacket fluttered around her, she whipped around to leave the hilltop and move towards the school, as the afternoon was gradually beginning to merge into the evening and the birds were beginning to fly back into their nests, even the leaves of trees drooping their faces to rest for the night. She made way through a small thicket that was situated behind the hilltop, on a downward slope which would take her to the clearing the school was situated on – many people got lost in the thick forests situated on the outskirts of the urbanised Berlin. People who were unfamiliar with the routes, that is.

As she walked, feet bare, from under the broad canopy, a slight rustle caught her ears and she turned rapidly on instinct, her mind and body ready to vaporize the spying enemy. She had been on alert (even more than usual) the whole day after hearing from Mami about how the Student Council had been attacked but she hadn't thought that the retards would be cocky enough to attack them TWICE in a day. And to think they had the audacity to challenge God-

 _Wait. That is . . . . ._

"Meow" it was an extremely pitiful whimper emitted by the pitiful creature who scampered out of a mulberry bush – a tiny, fragile kitten, it's fur the shade of untainted snow, hazel eyes large and innocently wide. It stared at the petite girl, whose face held an emotionless visage behind her crafted mask, even as she let her eyes rove over the gaping wound on the creature's right front leg – the skin had peeled off due to a bad case of splashed boiling water which had dried up all the blood, only leaving behind a layer of moist flesh. It looked excruciating, even for the 14-year old God and the kitten was barely walking, looking like it might succumb to its injuries at any moment. But somehow, with great effort, it dragged itself to her feet, never looking away from fear, before it finally collapsed at her feet.

"Look at you. So helpless and pathetic, waiting for someone to come save you. A useless waste of space like you should just disappear." She squatted on her knees, bending over the kitten, whose breaths had slowed down since it'd used most of its energy to crawl to her and as its eyes drooped close, like the bowed heads of the dozing flowers-

Kurumi sighed as she scooped the half-dead creature in her thin arms, extremely careful as to not scrape at its wound. The kitten uttered a barely audible "Meow" before snuggling against her flat chest, closing its eyes – even though its breaths were weak, she was confident it would not die anytime soon. She slightly hurried her pace, deciding that she'd shelter the being for now – it wasn't like the idea was unfamiliar to her. Mami had found a home for most of the animals she'd saved before and she knew the matriarch would find someone for this kitten as well.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" as she walked though the small forest, she could hear cries of a familiar voice in a distance – her emotionless face almost turning into a grimace when she recognized the incredibly soft tone. "I don't-wh-where could the kitty have gone?! I-I asked it to stay right here! I-It was so wounded!" There was a rather long pause before the voice replied, sheepish "I-I know but . . . . . I didn't think it would get very far . . . . . . I'd just gone to get the first aid box, after all . . . . . . . ."

Kurumi continued walking, the kitten having fallen asleep in her arms and as she emerged from behind a tree, she was faced with the back of a slouched figure, the distinctive circular pattern on the back of his black coat a significant impression on her mind. Ayumi Daitoryu was fidgeting, looking around with a searching gaze, before he turned around and his hazel eyes locked onto her. Kurumi continued walking, not fazed in the slightest but once he registered her identity and the sleeping kitten in her arms, he fell down on his butt and began rapidly crawling back on his palms. His teeth were chattering so badly and he shivered so much that 'God' honestly felt a little bit of pity on the poor mortal – his eyes were haunted and frightened.

He was going to cry.

"It'll be getting dark soon" she uttered in her rhythmic monotone, walking past the boy, the edges of her straitjacket lightly brushing against his face. "Get back before the wolves arrive."

The raven-haired male, despite freezing with fear, somehow, found the courage to utter in a very, very soft and intimidated voice "T-The k-k-k-k-kitte-ten . . . ." For some reason, her naked feet stopped when she heard his voice, refusing to move before he completed his sentence. But he did not have the courage to turn back. "W-W-W-W-What are you-you-you-you-you going t-t-t-t-t-to do wi-with it?" Ayumi's voice seemed to quiver along with his body and he was on the verge of doubling over – this was one of the few times he'd directly conversed with any of the students in his school, even though it'd been more than three months since his admittance. Like every other student, he knew of the Dangerous 3 and its (probably) most dangerous member – Kirigaya Kurumi. When he'd first heard her name, he was a little comforted at the thought that there was another Japanese in the school.

But the first time he'd seen her . . . . . .

 _A unique human specimen, her tiny, frail body drowning in the shabby straitjacket, the fearsome mask erasing any comfort he could've felt in her company. But it wasn't her appearance which put him off – no, it was the way she carried herself, with harsh confidence and malicious superiority, like she knew she owned the world._

Ayumi felt hot tears well up and slide down his fair cheeks – his fault. His fault his fault HIS FAULT! IT WAS ALL HIS FAULT! HE was the one who'd left the kitten alone. And now, because of him, the poor creature would-

 _HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT HIS FAULT. ALL HIS FAULT._

"God is not gonna kill it" she broke through his thoughts with her unexpected reply. She had started walking towards the direction of the school, the overgrown grass brushing against her pale shins. Through sticky tears, Ayumi's eyes shot open but by the time he'd turned back, Kurumi had disappeared amidst the trees.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He stared from behind the broad evergreens, absorbing the figures of the two kids – a petite girl and the most timid boy he'd ever seen. They were beautiful, beautiful and innocent, their figures radiating a childish beauty of naivety. Oh, how bad he wanted to embrace them, to watch them play with his other children, to hear them coo "Papa" at him!

But he had to be patient.

For he was to return to his Master now, to report to him the activities of his children. His Master had promised that soon, he could adopt as many children as he wanted from this school, to make as many friends he could for his older children. He was excited – he was SO excited! To play with them, to tell them stories, to cook for them, to give them piggyback rides . . . . . . .

He wished Master would hurry up. But for now, he had to return. And so, with steps as silent as the songs of the flowers, he hastened off.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kirigaya-san!"

Kurumi felt a faint bit of frustration build up inside her before it disappeared as suddenly. "Kurumi said she WOULDN'T kill this pathetic creature" her monotone was a little harsher, her legs not stopping. She never liked Ayumi Daitoryu despite belonging to the same nationality. He was pathetically weak, excessively faint-hearted, a dedicated cry-baby and extremely shy – the absolute opposite of her. She wanted nothing to do with him and the encounter in the forest was a mistake she wanted to forget (not that it was possible with HER memory). She regretted the fact that she would remember the fear in his Elfin eyes, the shocked pallor of his skin, his shaking limbs as they backed away from her in fear. But since he was a being of the utmost timid nature, she'd been SURE he wouldn't follow after her, whispering out her name.

"T-T-T-T-Tha-tha-tha-that's not i-i-i-i-i-i-it!"

She continued walking, convincing herself that there was no hunch-backed imbecile running after her.

"M-M-M-M-M-M-Matte (4), Kirigaya-san!"

A faint crackle of electricity forced the black-haired male to stop in his tracks and collapse on his butt once more – the thunder shock had left a small patch of burned grass just a few centimetres ahead of him. He burst into tears and hiccupped but when 'God' stopped and gave him a half-glance over her small shoulders (he'd never know with that terrifying mask), he immediately clamped his hands over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut.

' _I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm g-gonna die . . . . . . I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm really gonna die . . . . . . . And it's all, IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I couldn't right anything . . . . . I couldn't make up for my useless existence . . . B-B-B-B-B-But it must be . . . . . for the good'_

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm as useless as ever!" Ayumi bawled, a thick stream of tears sprouting out of his eyes.

"I would rather you stop wasting God's time and get on with what you want to say, Daitoryu." His tears almost stopped as he looked up through blurry eyes, mouth hanging open in shock to see KIRIGAYA KURUMI standing patiently in front of him, the injured cat still sleeping in her arms.

' _S-She's not gonna kill me?!'_

"God is not gonna kill you so you can stop crying." Kurumi was feeling very irritated now to be wasting her time on the mongrel but for some reason, she felt she couldn't abandon him either. "What did you wanna say?"

"Huh? O-O-O-O-O-Oh w-well." A pale blush rose on his thin cheeks as Ayumi stared at the ground, palms folded on top of each other, forcing words out of his throat. "I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm s-so-so-sorry, K-K-K-K-K-Kirigaya-san."

' _What?'_

Behind the black mask, crimson eyes widened.

"I-It was rude of me to hint s-s-s-s-such accu-accusations on you" he continued, looking like he would burst into tears at any moment. "B-B-B-B-B-B-B-But . . . . ."

He smiled at her, his eyes closed and cheeks a deep shade of pink. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You're nicer t-t-t-than I t-th-thought, K-Ki-Ki-Kirigaya-san." The smile on his face was a little awkward and bashful – but it was genuine. And to her . . . . . . . . .

Kurumi continued staring at him for a few seconds before turning around again, her straitjacket fluttering after her like a heroic cape. "Get back before the wolves get you."

"T-T-T-T-T-The wolves?!" the Japanese male turned into a frozen shade of blue before bouncing up on his long legs and running out of the darkening woods, lean arms thrown into the air. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kurumi sighed – just how cowardly could a person be? But nobody knew that under her mask, she smiled. Just a little. "He's forgotten the first aid box."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do they trust you now?"

". . . . . . . I have been here for a very long time. I was to be crowned a Champion but I refused the title."

"Good. Do NOT give in to distractions and temptations. Remember what we sent you for . . . . . . your duty lies only to the accomplishment of your mission and NOTHING else."

"You needn't worry. I am a VERY focused person as you know. A ha ha ha ha."

"You're taking things FAR too light-hearted-"

"Oh, cheer up! You wouldn't send me if you didn't have confidence in me, did you?"

"You're skilled but you let your guard down far too easily."

"I will bring it if it costs me my head. All the pain I've borne till now was for THIS."

"Remember, you're our only hope, Tala."

The silver-haired girl sat on the edge of a window in the highest minaret, her long legs dangling against each other. On her wrist sat a raven, the colour of steaming charcoal, eyes glassy with years of wisdom. "I do."

Then she outstretched her arm and the raven flew away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Osaka, Japan**

"We can't keep him here any longer, Azuma-san!"

The light in the room was dimly lit, only a single pale light bulb hanging low, the corners left dark due to insufficient illumination. The center of the room was occupied by a high, round table around which stood a bunch of hunched, gesturing figures dressed in formal outfits, having long abandoned their comfortable chairs. The man referred to as 'Azuma-san' was a short, compact figure with an equally short, compact buzz cut and dark, intense eyes which were narrowed in unpleasant reflection. "I realize what you mean Mayuri but there is no other place which would take Akamatsu in." He spoke to the rather frail, middle-aged woman with the fidgety behaviour, who seemed to go on the edge of a panic attack on his sentence. "We're the final roof to shelter him."

"I agree with Mayuri-san, Azuma-senpai" a narrow-faced man on the verge of youth's end blabbed. "He's crossed the limit today – he gouged Mine's eye out! Something like this cannot be ignored!"

"You have to think about the safety of the other students too!"

"Not only the students, EVERYBODY here is in danger because of him."

"I understand we're a juvenile asylum for mentally retarded students but he's crossed limits, Azuma-dono."

"We cannot keep him any longer!"

"WHAT IF HE KILLS SOMEBODY?!"

Words filtered through the air at a rapid pace, filled with unmasked hate, disgust, panic and fear – Azuma, stocky arms folded behind his back, listened to them with a calm, focused expression, absorbing each and every repulse-filled word. What they said was true but then . . . . . . . .

"There is one other place which will take him." He walked into the light from a dark corner in the room, the pale glow reflecting off his spectacles, rendering the irises behind invisible. "I suggest you send Akamatsu-kun there, Azuma-san." He tilted his head, pale blonde locks framing the side of his face. "You know which place I'm talking about . . . . . . . . don't you?"

All eyes on him, Azuma ripped his eyes away from the masked smirk on the speaker's face, pulling out a sleek Blackberry from the pocket of his blazer. He pressed on a contact number and placed the phone near his ear, letting a few rings pass by before the other side picked the phone up. Everybody watched intently, breathes bated and the spectacled youth quietly slid back into his dark corner, unnoticed. As Azuma exchanged words with the other person, the atmosphere in the room seemed to grow cold and a suffocating aura pressed against the lungs of the people. Sweat dripped down Mayuri's forehead, daintily wiped away by a handkerchief.

After a cloudy two minutes, the conversation ceased and the phones were switched off. As Azuma sighed, everybody's eyes dulled and postures slackened – Mayuri felt tears well up in her eyes. But his next words filled them with renewed vigour. "I spoke to Dmietrievna Olga-san, the proprietor and head of Mami's School for the Socially Troubled in Berlin, Germany." His thin eyes seared through every face in the room – faces waiting yearningly. "She's agreed to take Akamatsu Niji in."

 **~ Glossary ~**

Viel Gluck {pronounced Vi-Yel GLOOK}: Good Luck (German)

Danke {pronounced DAANK}: Thank You (German)

Lehrer {pronounced Leyh-Ruh}: Teacher (German)

Matte {pronounced Mat-Tey}: Wait (Japanese)

 **~ Review Replies ~**

To Ghost132:

 **DT: Ghost-san, what the fu . . . . . . well, now that you mention it, it very well might be possible.**

 **Tala: *places hand on heart* I've dedicated my life to potato chips.**

 **Margarita: I'm not gonna abandon my love for some lunatic.**

To Aviator Capi:

 **DT: O_O You FORGOT about this?! Wow. Anyways, thank you for finally remembering.**

To Insanity's Jewel:

 **DT: *screams and runs away like a motherfucker* Protect me Kurumi!**

 **Kurumi: UnKnOwN huh? You're just a tiny bug compared to God's older sister, Lucy.**

 **Atlas: Hey, you creepy whacko! :P You don't know useful my Essence is!**

 **Kurumi: A pitiful mongrel like you can only bark and not bite. Apologize to God for your crudeness and Kurumi may forgive you and not hurt you . . . . . . much.**

 **Gwen: *smirks* Is that so? We'll soon see, pretty boy. We'll soon see.**

 **DT: Please UnKnOwN, NEVER RETURN! And of course, my dear Luccu, I'll always be watching! ;)**

To AncientUnicorn:

 **Barbie: You're cute. If you weren't so freaking annoying, I would've made you my doll.**

 **Aran: *stares down at his abs* Is there something special in them? I've seen many of the boys have them.**

 **Lena: We'll see who gets the man in the end. ;P**

 **DT: Patience, Unicorn-kun! You will just LOVE when I show who Aran's other half is! XD**

 **Lykke: You're as annoying as your child is. Why doesn't your kid practice what you preach?**

 **Madeleine: That is a skill which would be useful, yes.**

 **Shurik: But people are born naked, aren't they? ;I There's nothing more comfortable than a birthday suit.**

 **Tommy: THIS IS A DEMOCRACY! I SHALL DO WHAT I PLEASE! I'll roam in a pink bikini IF I WANT TO!**

 **Gwen: Ah, my sweet old Thomas is surely waiting for me too! I can never forget the feeling of his slender body under mine. Yumm~.**

 **Mami: I'm sorry to disappoint you but I love all my children equally. Well . . . . . only a few favourites but in the end, I would protect all of them with my life.**

 **Peace out, garlic pod. Thanks for the support. And congrats. There's always room to improve.**

To CommanderAnth0n7:

 **Thanks! Though unfortunately, the only place well all the characters are gonna be together is . . . . . well, you'll find out next chapter anyway.**

 **Anton: *salutes* I'll always remember that, General.**

To Thedaffodilqueen:

 **Thanks for the kind encouragement, Daffodil-san! Yeah, that's why it takes such a huge amount of time frame to update. That and studies. ^_^;**

 **Madeleine: *sigh* I'm just gonna take these as compliments.**

 **Atlas: ;) It's always fun to keep them guessing.**

 **Anton: I always see it as work.**

To enarmonios:

 **Robin and Aria: *stare at each other and look away with crossed arms* Hmph.**

 **Atlas: ;) You won't be calling my invisibility 'harmless' after the next few chapters.**

 **Anton: Kid, that better not be an accusation. *Anton glare***

 **Lykke: :) Since you seem to be so curious about my torture techniques would you like me to demonstrate them on you?**

 **Aran: . . . . . . That was a very poignant query I had in mind. It got me thinking.**

 **Lena: -_-; I really don't like some of the impressions this story is building about me.**

 **Tommy: *rocks in emo corner* TT-TT Why does the world hate me so much . . . .?**

 **Rayne: *waves at Ena-kun* Hello.**

 **Mami: I'd been hoping that she'd never return. Looks like God didn't feel like answering my prayers even this time.**

 **Gwen: *slicks tongue across lips* Of course, I couldn't be gone for very long. By cute peers and lovely teachers must be waiting for me.**

 **Thank you for the questions Ena-kun! We'll be sure to answer one of them in the next chapter! Thank you so much for your continued support!**

 **To Pocky:**

 **You don't know how happy it makes me to know you like my story so much, Pocky. And thanks for updating. Those chapters were short but pacing!**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(TTwTT I will never forgive Dvachevskaya for the misery he's caused me . . . . .)**_

 **Atlas: OwO Why're you laughing? *blink blink***

 **Anton: *glares* You better not be making fun of my sister . . . . . .**

 **Lykke: *hides her face with her bowler hat* This is pretty embarrassing . . . . . . And I don't see how this could take our relationship into a 'fun' direction.** _ **(QwQ What if she's disgusted with me?!)**_

 **Rayne: *tilts head confusingly to the side* -.- Lady Macbeth . . . . . Isn't she the Shakitan character?**

 **Haejin: ^w^;** **'It's Shakespearean, Rayne.'**

 **Lena: =w= I REALLY do not like some of the things being spread about me . . . . . .**

 **Shurik: *smokes cigarette* Please don't request such things young lady. I don't wanna appear anymore in this demented story.**

 **Gwen: You haven't seen half of my craziness, baby~. *licks lips***

 **Q: YOU SHOULD HAVE SHAME IN TAUNTING YOUR ONLY CHILD YOU B! *pokes out eye and shows tongue***

 **TT-TT I'm only 5'3' too Pocky . . . . . Don't call it short . . . . .**

 **Thank you for your continued support Pocky! ;D Tried my best to update on your birthday!**

To Fa-chan:

 **TT-TT Why do you have to be so painfully right . . . . . .?**

 **Aria and Robin: OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T FIGHT OVER SOMETHING LIKE THAT! *glare at each other, fold arms and look away with a hmph* Although he/she did eat the last cookie/tart . . . . . *glare at each other again* YOU FUCKING LIAR! *fight ensues***

 **Uhum . . . . moving on . . . . . . .**

 **Lena: Shouldn't we stop them? OwO**

 **Garrick: De bloody beeches will liv. -**

 **I've got that covered Rose. ;) There's gonna be three more character polls.**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(I'll be thoroughly violated but at least I'll live!)**_

 **We all know you a weaboo Rose. B-)**

 **And every girl introduces her boyfriend to the parents. XD *hi five***

 **Madeleine:** _ **(B-) He fucking did! And HEY!)**_

 **Anton: Training is cruel.**

 **Well, they're more experienced than the young ones. ;D Never would've expected you to be a naughty girl Rose.**

 **Anton: I WILL MAKE HIM FEEL SUCH PAIN HE WOULD WISH HE NEVER LIVED.**

 **Tommy: Atmosphere got super scary super fast OO; . . . . . .**

 **Rayne: No, that would not be nice at all. *goes into thought mode* I think I would kill myself if something like that happened.**

 **Yes, Rose. Yes it is. And yes Rose, yes she did.**

 **Mami: *sighs* Don't ask.**

 **Shurik: *takes a drag* I don't even know why I do this. . . . . Actually, I do but still.**

 **You'll be pleased once you find out what else she's gonna be. XD**

 **Aran: Angst? Is it some kind of fruit?**

 **No Rose. You do not wanna-On the other hand, I think YOU of all people would like it. I'll show it some day.**

 **Lykke: *sips tea* :) Because we have something called intelligence.**

 **Garrick: *w* Ain' she 'mazin?**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(=w= DON'T DEFEND PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW)**_

 **Garrick: Dude, I'mma thin ye gun loony. Raven's straight, lady.**

 **Actually, those were Lykke's thoughts. TT-TT I apologize profusely for the confusion but I did think someone was going to get confused at that part. I forgot to edit it.**

 **Gwen: Nope! It's your sweet old Gwen~! ;) And no, cutipie, I'm not specific. I hunt whoever interests me. *eyes grow hungry and she licks her lips* By the way, wanna do a quickie in the corner over there? ;)**

 **Robin: Now that is mean, Rose. -_-**

 **Mihai: Does she scare us? Yes, she does, she does! *hides behind Aria***

 **Haejin: QwQ** **'She scares me too.'** ***hides behind Robin***

 **Nyx: I'll protect you Asriel! *stands in front of him***

 **Eris: I'mma protect Azzy AN' sis! *stands in front of Nyx***

 **Asriel: Thank you my lovely girl! ^w^**

 **Ayumi: *ran away a long time ago***

 **Q: Meh, the b doesn't scare me! Just another f-ing psycho! I've dealt enough with them TO CRUSH HER!**

 **Jamie: *goes behind Tommy* Roommate, protect me.**

 **Tommy: *hides behind Jamie* Nah, I'm too scared! QwQ I'm gonna pee my pants!**

 **Aran: Why is everyone looking scared . . . . . . .?**

 **Anton: Pussies. Everyone is a fucking pussy.**

 **Garrick: *w* *daydreaming* Raven . . . . . . . .**

 **Shurik: I would like to be locked in the basement please.**

 **Unfortunately, that is not going to happen.**

 **Shurik: Oh bother.**

 **Lena: . . . . . . I wish it was a hallucination.**

 **Aran: *smiles tightly* It was a joke.**

 **Garrick: *gasps and stares at Evan***

 **Haejin: *shakes head frantically*** **I WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU GARRI! Ignore that woman – she's poisonous! Didn't you read her first name?!**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(I answered your prayers . . . . .)**_

 **Lykke: Please . . . . . . *hides face with embarrassment and sighs deeply* Just stop.**

 **Garrick: Wut iz goin' on . . . .?**

 **How can you ship Maddy and Lykke with two people simultaneously? THAT'S A CRIME! But thanks for you super juicy reviews Rose! Honestly, you're the review Goddess! XD**

To Mik-chan:

 **Robin and Aria: *point at each other* IT'S ALL HER/HIS FAULT! *glare at each other* SHUT UP YOU LITTLE LYING BITCH! *fight ensues again***

 **Garrick: *sighs and facepalms* An' I jus' separated dem . . . . .**

 **Atlas: Yay, I'me one of your favourites! *glomps Mik* ;) Maybe I could share some secrets with you . . . . .**

 **Anton: AT. LAS.**

 **Atlas: Oops, sorry Miki! *bounces away* Next time! *peace sign***

 **Shurik: Oh God, I just can't seem to stop attracting girls huh?**

 **Aran: . . . . . . That wasn't supposed to make you laugh . . . . . but it's okay . . . . . . I guess . . . . .**

 **Lykke:** _ **(YES, A SUPPORTER!)**_ ***calmly sips tea* Your thoughts are refreshing, Ms. Mik . . . . . .**

 **Madeleine: We just met today though ^w^; . . . . . . . .**

 ***crickets chirp at the pun***

 **Ayumi, Yorra, Jamie and Atlas: *clap out of politeness***

 **Mihai: Did we like the pun? IT WAS AWESOME, IT WAS AWESOME! :D *only person to have enjoyed it***

 **Gwen: You compliment me too much, honeybunny. You're gonna make me blush~.**

 **Yorra: *gives an adorable yet hesitant smile***

 **Aria: *shrugs* Meh.**

 **Mihai: Will we? We hope so, we hope so!**

 **Jamie: I do hope I FUCKING SURVIVE THAT BITCH.**

To Ariri:

 **I hope you would follow your own quotes at times, Jones. -_- And your memory sucks. I wonder how you remember birthdays. AND PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT SHIT IS DOPE.**

 **Everyone: *stares at Ariri* Okay . . . . . . .**

 **Robin: SOME one's doped up. *snorts***

 **Lykke: *hides face* I don't know this person . . . . . .**

 **I will TRY to help, Madeleine's future wife. -_- I'M the one cheating? (Okay, I am BUT THAT IS BECAUSE IT WAS MY DREAM TO HAVE A HAREM BEFORE ISSEI HYOUDOU!) And you, being unfaithful to me with that Rap guy!**

 **Madeleine: Hello, Vivianne. :)** _ **(I HOPE MAGGOTS FEED ON YOUR INTESTINES)**_ **And I would not want Raven to become a sex slave *awkwardly laughs*** _ **(I HOPE it was a joke though I have a feeling otherwise)**_

 **Mookie, sometimes I doubt your asexuality. AND FAITHFULNESS. (And your sanity)**

 **Anton: . . . . . . . Somebody is gonna die.**

 **Atlas: *giggles* ;) It's not one-sided though . . . . . . . . And I lost my 'innocence' ages ago. At a age younger than any of the other OCs lost theirs . . . . . . .**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(THESE BITCHES I SWEAR TO GOD . . . . .)**_

 **Rayne: *waves at Lykke* Hello, Raven. *blinks before realization* Oh, you're the one Garri is deeply in love with.**

 **Garri: *slumps in a corner* My life is officially over.**

 **Lena: I do not have either of those. Oh, and pelase try me. ;) I have a winning record of ALWAYS.**

 **Aran: My honesty does not trouble you?**

 **Madeleine:** _ **(YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED)**_

 **Lykke: I would kill myself if not for my darling Maddyx.**

 **Gwen: Oh, but I'm on the flight~.**

 **Did it! Gosh, you people are specific!**

To Potato-kun:

 **Don't you have something to do like . . . . . SCHOOL? Or COLLEGE? Or WORK?**

 **Aria and Robin: I HOPE YOU DIDN'T THINK WE WERE LO-LO-LOV- *proceed to gag***

 **Anton: I think I'll be eating human meat for dinner tonight.**

 **Atlas: You're so funny, Ant! *smiles sweetly at Potato-kun* Let's bake it with some potatoes, okay?**

 **That's the day when alliances will be made, friendships will be broken, rivalries will thrive, tears will shed, sweat will pour, blood will flow, asses will be kicked, champions will be crowned, losers will be ground . . . . . THE DAY OF SALVATION!**

 **Lena: Why does everybody keep thinking I'm hallucinating? *sighs* Rayne is but I'm not. It is just . . . . . a terrible nightmare I must live. *laughs bitterly* An Essence like that would be welcomed anytime . . . . not the monstrosity I have.**

 **Rayne: Cut? Oh no, I merely 'clean' myself.**

 **Aran: What does the scene prove? I'm still confused and the checklist doesn't say anything . . . .**

 **Tommy: I sometimes get li-WAIT, WHAT DID YOU READ?! WHERE DID YOU READ THAT BULLSHIT?!**

 **Jamie: It's like I'M THE FUCKING NANNY OR SOMETHING! I have to take care of a HYPER DIRT FREAK, AN EMOTIONLESS CAVE MAN AND AN ABNORMAL WOMAN WHO HAS NO SENSE.**

 **B-) Your intuition is pretty good!**

 **Garrick: Mate, I'mma feelin' pretty sick 'bout dis . . . .**

 **Gwen: Ah, you're an amusing one. Would you like to play with me, little child? (Since we're doing puns) I find potatoes to be absolutely sweet and the way they creamily melt into my mouth . . . . . Mmmmmm~. *licks lips***

 **RUN, POTATO AND NEVER RETURN.**


	9. Ep7 - wHeN a PaSt LeAvEs ScArS

**~ Author's Note**

 **Yes, that IS the beautiful President on the cover, for those of you who're curious.**

 **I know I'm on a hiatus but this chapter was so close to being completed that as soon as I got a free day, I glued myself to my chair and typed and typed like I was on steroids (Soda helps. Soda helps a LOT). It must be rigged with grammatical mistakes and other things but I'm so sorry since I kinda just fast-read through to make sure it was not too bad.**

 **Anyways, this chapter, we shall address enarmonios' question:**

'Why do only people with issues have abilities? Does Shurik have issues, for instance?'

 **Mami: *walks in while sipping masala tea* 'Essence' is a delicate, non-tangible energy which is present in the soul of each and every human being – it is a part of themselves, an aura which is a part of their very own life force. Yes, everyone has it but most cannot use or control it – it is like , always beside you but you cannot touch, see or manage it and their lives fade away without ever using or knowing this vast power that runs through their bodies.**

 **The only way to control this Essence . . . . . is to lose yourselves.**

 **There are two kinds of 'people': the first ones are your normal people, ones who lead normal, typical lives, have a usual thinking process, compatible personalities, forge relations and alliances with ease and their personalities are plagued with no 'bugs' due to the normalcy and predictability of their lives.**

 **And then, there are the ones who're a little special, a little . . . . . different: the ones called 'mentally retarded', 'abnormal', 'loony', 'loose screws', 'off their head' and many other different titles. They're mostly disturbed by mental or emotional troubles which alters their personality, behaviour and thinking patterns with minor or major results.**

 **And Essence is easier to control and more obedient towards them.**

 **Shurik: *takes a drag* Naïve child, everyone in this world suffers from issues, small or big, temporary or permanent – in a nutshell, I do too.**

 **Mami: However, though they may be able to control the power of this enigmatic Essence more easily, they still cannot access its powers with 'natural methods' – and not everyone is broken enough to be able to handle the weight of this Essence. That's why, our school gives them a 'little bit of help' so that they can access their Essence.**

 **DT: Alright Mams, the time for this session is over! Let's check out now!**

 **Mami: *sips tea* Gut. Please stay tuned for our next episode.**

 **DT: See ya fellows! Get on to the chapter!**

 **~ Ep. 7 – wHeN a PaSt LeAvEs ScArS ~**

"So you don't know where the monsters come from?"

'Truth is stranger than fiction.' She'd read the quote first as a 7-year old and despite understanding it, she hadn't really understood it – because you can't really understand something, no matter your intelligence or perception, unless you experience it. And now, nine years later in a juvenile asylum located on the outskirts of Berlin, Madeleine had fully come to grasp the meaning of the famous quote. There was still a flicker in her which doubted Atlas' statements but she'd seen more than enough than to doubt them as con tricks or lies – so for the moment, she'd resigned herself to find out as much as she could about this strange school and its stranger inhabitants. She would sort out and plan her next movements later.

 _(Although with her and Aria, I feel like a twenty four hour watched criminal . . . . .)_

"Well" Atlas tapped her chin as she thought, her pretty face shadowed with thought "Mami did mention that they were from an alternate world and they come to this world to feed on humans and gain strength from them. But" she laughed casually and scratched the back of her head with a gloved hand, her long, scarlet twin tails dangling behind "I don't really know much about them. You should ask the President!" She was helping Madeleine shift rooms since the blonde had a large amount of luggage and her roommate was nowhere to be found.

"Oh yes" Madeleine smiled at her, profusely thanking Christ for introducing her to someone like the friendly redhead "You have a student council, right?"

"Yup!" Atlas chirped, opening the door to the currently empty Room No. 246 since the other occupant was nowhere to be seen. "Currently we only have six members so the workload becomes burdensome at times but we always get through with it, somehow!" The two girls stepped into the spacious room and walked to the left side, where the blonde already had placed some of her bags. Now only two were left in the guest room and after that, she could finally retire to rest.

"I'm so sorry for making you help me, Atlas" she apologized with a sheepish smile – although she didn't mind the help a TINY BIT. God knows how much time it'd have taken her to bring all that luggage alone. _(This is just TOO much luggage for a month – I don't even remember what I packed . . . . . .)_

"Ah, don't be so formal Maddy!" the younger girl patted her on the back. "I'd always be glad to help you in any way you can!" Striking a victory pose, Atlas grinned "You can always depend on me!"

"You're really very kind" the blonde smiled gently, cackling happily on the inside. _(I've done it, I'VE FINALLY DONE IT! Now, all I need to do is be careful so that she continues to stay under my charm . . . . . Hee hee hee hee . . . . . HA HA HA!)_ "Although I don't think your brother enjoyed my company at lunch and dinner." She offered a convincing smile of guilt.

"Ahahaha!" she waved off her worries, shaking her black gloved hand up and down. "Don't mind Ant, he's always been a stuck-up turd! We've been here for almost two years and he still rarely talks to anyone!" She shook her head disapprovingly, sighing. "But he's also sweet, caring, gentle, worrisome, loving and so protective!" she gushed with stars in her eyes and to say that Madeleine was peeved would be an understatement. "I don't know what I'd do without him!"

 _(Why do I think this incest game isn't just one-sided . . . . .?)_

The redhead suddenly realized that her behaviour must have been creeping out the blonde and nervously grinned "Ehehe, sorry, sorry, I got too carried away."

 _(Yeah, no doubt about that that)._ "Oh, you don't need to apologize at all!" she giggled and continued "Anton sounds really dependable and a good brother. You really love him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes."

Madeleine's green eyes widened at the blush on Atlas' face, her wide and bright cerulean eyes now lowered and soft, her cheeks painted rouge, the smile on her face gentle. "I do love him" she repeated, twiddling her slim fingers together "I love him a real lot. But" she dipped her head and for a single moment, she saw a tinge of hurt pass through the inhumanely cheerful teenager's face. "He doesn't seem to-"

"Hello, Ms. Atlas. Hello, Ms. Madeleine Kasner."

The Goethalite gave a half-gasp at the sudden materialization of a pale-haired girl whose disturbingly blank eyes were of a similar shade as her lilac-sapphire locks – the expression on her face reminded Madeleine of the creepy guy from the morning but her attention was immediately averted by the fresh bandages tied up to the girl's elbows along both her hands. Atlas had popped back into her Cheerleader mode under exemplary time and waved her hand at rocket speed. "Hi, Ray-OH GEE!" she stepped back in horror, staring at said bandages "What happened?!"

"Wounds" she simply replied, straightening her arms in front of her, horizontally. Madeleine nodded towards her, offering a gentle smile and a reserved greeting, scrutinizing the doll-like girl under her friendly masked eyes – she was really quite cute _(what is with this school and its attractive lunatics?!)_ and her blank face was babyish and innocent, her long, straight hair adored by a pretty silver hair band and shower bangs further accentuating her young beauty. Fair and pretty-eyed, she wore clothes which were too unfitting for her image – she was covered from inch-to-inch, the only skin visible being her apathetic face. A black turtleneck, black jeans and white furry boots, she wore a similar colour scheme to Atlas but instead of the badass way the redhead carried her outfit, this girl just looked grim and depressed.

"Really now!" Atlas placed her hand on her hips, clearly exasperated with the vagueness. "You must've been up to your dangerous experiments again, weren't you?" The emotionless girl only nodded, moving her head twice with practiced movements and again, Madeleine noted a similar bell reminding her of the viridian-haired male. "Rayne, Mami had already told you not to do such things in the main building!"

"Mami had told me not to build them in the main building but she did not say anything against testing them here, Ms. Atlas" she monotoned, not looking the least bit bothered with the reprimanding. Madeleine nervously smiled. _(I can't figure out if she's an idiot or a smart ass . . . . .)_

"Oh, for the sake o-" _Huh?_

 _Brother,_ **she was shaking, shaking terribly, eyes unfocused as everything began to blur.** _Ant, where a-_ **Where was he? Why wasn't he beside her or in front of her? Where was SHE?! WHY WASN'T HE WITH HER?! Did he leave her alone again . . . . .**

 **Like that day?**

 **Like that terrible, terrible day?**

 **. . . . . . Had she been left behind again?**

"Atla-" Madeleine was taken aback when the friendly girl slapped her hand away before breaking into a run and disappearing around the corridor's corner – to say that the blonde was shocked would be an understatement. "What just . . . . . what just happened?" _(Out of the blue she just . . . . . didn't she take his name?)_

"The past still leaves bonded scars." She whipped around, noting that the female called Rayne was staring after Atlas' trail before gradually turning her head to look at Madeleine, face as placid as ever. _(Is that some kind of a quote?)_ "Do not worry, Ms. Madeleine Kasner" she offered "Ms. Atlas will be just fine." _(And how do YOU know that?)_ She had the urge to voice out but kept it to herself, instead, offering a hand to the young girl.

"Well, what is your full name, Ms. Rayne?" she asked with a kind smile and voice, her fingers outstretched in a gesture of familiarity. But the girl did not respond in the way she'd hoped – as soon as she saw the hand approach her, those placid eyes widened _**in fear, in nervousness, in terrified nostalgia**_ and she shifted away, body tensed uncomfortably.

"Please . . . . . . . don't come too close" her words filtered out rather hastily and Madeleine dropped the hand, nodding reassuringly. It was only after a moment of unreadable analysis that Rayne forced her gaze back to the blonde's face "My name is Rayne Lynn Lowell. I am seventeen years old and it is time for me to take my after dinner medicine. I wish you goodnight, Ms. Madeleine Kasner. Hope to see you tomorrow." She jerked forward before abruptly stopping, caught between the choices of bowing and not bowing – she nodded at the sixteen-year old, waved twice and walked deeper into the corridors, towards the female dorms.

Madeleine stood in the middle of the corridor, befuddled, annoyed, angry, exhausted and feeling like a moronic Australopithecus. She eyed her two heavy suitcases, bit her lip hard, refrained from puncturing it in rage and began pulling them along with her, doing her best to ignore the throbbing ache in her slim arms. And the more terrible one in her brain.

Oh God, she couldn't wait to collapse on her bed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Atlas shuffled through the hallway, her tall, hourglass frame swaying unsteadily, eyes blanked out, legs moving with vacillating steps, mind not processing where she was going or where she even was. Everything was hazy, dull images shifting and mingling before her eyes, creating a distorted picture of ghostly apparitions. She hit her shoulder against a solid wall, pain shooting through but her mind was too numb to process it.

 **Ant . . . . . . she needed him . . . . . . her beloved Ant . . . . . . . her beloved older brother . . . .**

 **She couldn't walk anymore . . . . . .**

As Atlas fell forward, scarlet tresses fluttering after her plunging body, Anton moved forward with great speed, catching his sister in his arms before she could hit the floor. "Atlas – Oi, Atlas!" He was panicking, snow-coloured hair matted with a thin trail of sweat from when he'd been desperately searching for her, realizing she'd forgotten her medicine. "At-Atlas!" his normally cool voice rose in pitch, breaking off in frequency as he stuttered as he stared at the unconscious body of the young girl, her eyes closed and her face contorted, living in a bad dream. "AT-!"

He almost bit his tongue when those sapphire eyes fluttered, red lashes brushing against her bronze cheeks, before the lids pulled up halfway, irises as blue as a summer sky staring from beneath. "Ant . . . . ." her mumbling was low, the cheerful verve in her voice giving way to a frail whisper before those large, innocent eyes shot open, filled with tears. Before he knew it, her long arms were squeezed around him, grabbing him possessively in fear of loss, and her head was on his shoulder, warm wet tears dripping into the crook of his neck and staining his trench coat. "Ant! ANT! ANT! ANT! BIG BROTHER!" She repeated his name as if it were a holy prayer, in desperation and loud relief, her whole body quivering in his arms as she shook during her bawls, even though he had wrapped his arm tight around her frame. "Ant! ANT!"

"It's okay, baby girl. Shhhh shhhh" the perfunctory voice rumbled low, thin lips resting against the lobe of her ear. He lovingly rubbed his hand over her soft head, trying his best to soothe her, calloused fingertips tangling into her long tresses. "I'm here now, Atlas, I'm here. You're not alone anymore."

"I-I-I thought y-you'd lef-left me ag-again!" she wailed between hiccups, staring at him, eyes swollen and tearful, face wet and stained. "I-I-I was al-all alone agai-in . . . . . l-l-like th-that day-"

"I'll NEVER leave you again!" he exclaimed, hugging a surprised Atlas – after both had embraced the teenage stage, hugs from Anton had reduced every time till one day, they drastically disappeared. It was only her who'd throw her arms around him, cling to his arm, peck his cheek every once-in-a-while. He was affectionate and his beautiful smiles were reserved only for her but sometimes, she couldn't help feeling that a gap had bridged between them and he was standing far on the other side, at a great distance and she couldn't reach him, no matter how much she ran. But now, when he held her tightly, his hand pressed firm against the back of her head, Atlas smiled into the cavity of his chest, not minding the hardness of his bulletproof vest.

"Looks like your plan worked, Atlas" Robin murmured, pulling up his furry hoodie to fully cover his head and spiky brown locks. Quietly tiptoeing away from the emotional sibling **(or was it?)** bonding, he rushed down the steps to the ground floor, not wanting to be late for his walk.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One day; one day was all it had taken her to hate her perfect life and curse its mere existence. Why, oh WHY had Roald Dvachevskaya sent her here? And WHY the FUCK had she ACCEPTED?!

Madeleine almost collapsed on the floor after somehow managing to drag her suitcases to the door of Room No. 246 but reminding herself that she was an epitome of ideal behaviour for the students here (and it would be bad etiquette to sit on the floor in the middle of a corridor), she managed to restrain herself. However, just as her hand etched onto the doorknob, a faint murmuring of voices from inside the room startled her.

"That MOTHERFUCKIN CRIMSON SHRIMP thinks she's all that, playing such a DISGUSTING FUCKING prank on us but I'm gonna SHOW THE STUCK-UP BITCH my true colours one FUCKING day!"

"Me don't like her at all! She's so mean!"

". . . . . . . I think I don't like her too . . . . ." The blonde had a minor heart attack when the last voice filtered through her ears. She knew that slow-paced baritone very, VERY well . . . . .

Flinging the door open, she was ready to scream her head off at the trespassing murderer from the morning, who'd (in her mind) stalked her to her room with his gang mates to maybe FINISH HER OFF OR SOMETHING! However, what she saw, did not just leave her completely speechless but almost burned up her cheeks due to the amount of blood it had pumped.

"*W-Who the FUCKING HELL are you?!*" The first one she noticed was a short boy, with angelic periwinkle hair set apart like two wings on each side of his head, his lavender eyes wide with embarrassment and cheeks flushed deep. He was covering his lithe body with a checked dress shirt that seemed to be stained by something but it failed to completely hide bits and pieces of untainted, creamy skin.

"*KYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! A-A PERVERT!*" The second lad was tall and lanky, a large white shirt (which was stained as well) halfway over his head, revealing an olive, smooth back – and it was very, VERY hard for Madeleine to not gapingly ogle at the firm, cute butt accentuated by the pale red shorts he wore. _(Damn, does this blond have an as-WAIT, THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT SUCH THINGS!)_

"*Nice to meet you again, Madeleine Kasner.*" Meanwhile, creepy-murderer from the morning just greeted her in his uniquely sluggish way, flaunting an incredibly fake smile – along with his toned, muscular body which he seemed to have no intention of covering unlike his two mates. _(Six packs. AND TWO TATTOOS. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG)_

It was only after she realized that she had been checking them out, did she babble a faint apology and shut the door behind her, leaning against it on the outside.

"She's cute." Tala, who was rolling around on her bed, stopped for a moment for her commentary, after which she continued her actions.

"Is that all you can FUCKING SAY?!" Jamie was off his head from all the rapid activity today – from rescuing Tommy from General Neat & Tidy's room, to almost getting caught than really getting caught, being doused by a bucket filled with liquid garbage (he smelled his underarm and gagged; even all that incessant scrubbing hadn't been able to remove the strong odour). "God knows what that FUCKING CONCEITED RED-HEADED BITCH mixed in that bucket."

"R-Raven's so scary . . . . . ." poor, 'innocent' Tommy (who'd started it all) was still quivering, his eyes almost blurry with tears. He flailed his long arms and wailed "Guuuuhhh, I don't like her!" Somehow, even after the vigorous cleaning Jamie and Tala had done, the seventeen-year old European had figured out that there was something 'asymmetrical' with her room (GOD KNOWS HOW) and had captured and 'taken vengeance' on Tom and Jerry. Jamie could not help shooting deathly glares at his sensitive blonde roommate since it was THE UNSTABLE COWARD'S fault they'd got into the SHITTY mess anyway. (There was no one else in school foolish enough to trash Wulfric's room. Not even that Bai guy).

Aran, the first one of the trio to be fully dressed, smoothed the front of his grey hoodie in his usual slow, mechanical way that seemed like he was pondering his every action. (Poor guy had just been standing near them when Raven dumped the sewage buckets on them – and so was Tala but the CUNNING OLD BITCH had dodged right after noting the buckets on the second floor, with a very familiar redhead behind them).

"Could you not have given us A FUCKING WARNING at least?" Jamie cried, running his hands through his wet sapphire bangs before fixing his signature white beanie on top.

"I told you I was sorry, Jerry" Tala, not looking sorry in the least, propped up against the wall, her long limbs folded against each other as her gaze withered to the door. "If you guys are done, can I invite PBG in now?"

"Palm Beach Gardens?" Aran popped a question, thinking of why she was talking about the Florida city.

"No, you tub of mayo" the insult made Jamie chuckle, Tommy hesitate between giggling and gasping and as usual, completely flew over Aran's head. The silver-haired female stuck out her chin towards the door and repeated "I mean Pretty Blonde Girl." Before they could even reply, she promptly jumped out of bed and whisked the door open – the PBG, who had been probably standing with her back leaning against the door, almost fell inside. But being the graceful flirt she was, Dead had caught her. "Careful there, pretty little one."

Madeleine, tired, exhausted and with her brain barely functioning, stared at the much taller woman before realizing that she was gaping at her golden eyes and straightened up immediately, looking rather nervous and apprehensive. (Cut the poor girl some slack – this was the first time she was meeting such a tall, busty woman with wild silver hair and burnished eyes. She could pass off for an Amazonian warrior if not for her ivory skin).

"Umm" she inwardly slapped herself for the apprehensive tone before letting her eyes roam inside "Ms. Tala Wilson?"

Inside, was an awkwardly shuffling short kid whose beanie threw a shadow over his face, a blond, skinny guy hiding behind Mr. Murderer while the foresaid male had an expression on his face that was some sort of a mixture between a painful smile and his usual deadpan.

"Dead" the female muttered so ominously that Madeleine was taken aback. _(What?! Is she saying I'm gonna die now?! Is it my future condition?!)_ And for a few seconds, the shy boys looked almost psychotically motivated and hiding axes behind them. "My name's Dead, PBG" Tala repeated in a friendlier tone, offering a long hand which broke Madeleine out of her reverie. "Dead as in the deceased, departed, lifeless as my mama's mama."

"I-I'm Madeleine Kasner, your new roommate" she replied, shaking the arm tentatively before growing more comfortable – her roommate didn't seem too weird or anything. Except her random babbling.

"A-Alright then" the cerulean-haired youngster from before, who still had his face overshadowed so as to no meet the new girl's eyes, whispered in a rather low voice "W-We will be leaving for the FUCKING BLOODY nigh-" Madeleine, who was visibly shocked by the sudden outburst from the warm silver of his tone to the high screech, stared at the boy. He looked like a deer frozen in headlights before staring steadfastly at the ground and mumbling "Sorry, sorry, really sorry!" and skidding out of the room.

. . . . . Should she even ask what that was about?

"Good night, Ms. Kasner" as the robotic murderer passed by, she almost jumped out of her skin – but her beloved feet stayed firmly planted to the wooden floor and she gave him a small smile, murmuring a retired greeting of her own. Meanwhile, the tall, lanky boy latched to his back merely ogled at her with his wide, mahogany eyes as he passed by but after reaching the door, he softly tiptoed back, had undone one of her low twin tails in a flash and mouthing what seemed like a "Much better", run after his team mates.

By this point of time, she did not even have the energy to pick up her undone blue ribbon from the floor. Yes, she was THAT tired.

Any other time, Madeleine would've made an effort to talk to the odd group of awkward teens and (try to) befriend them but she just wanted to scream "FUCK EVERYTHING!" and dump herself on the bed. All she noted was that the room was fairly large and divided into two – it was messier than she would've liked while one half (hers for now) was plain and empty with only a study desk, a bed, a closet and other things. Right now, though, she couldn't care less so she turned towards her roommate and suppressing a yawn, said "If you don't mind, I'd like to retire for the ni-"

Tala had the window half open and was propped up to jump outside. "Yeah, sleep tight, PBG." She waved, chomped on a cookie and jumped out.

Madeleine kicked off her shoes, threw her blazer somewhere, jumped onto the cleaner bed and snuggling under the covers, closed her eyes. She'd deal with her jumping-off-the-second-floor-roommate and all the other pile of crazy loons waiting for her tomorrow.

 _Or if I get lucky, maybe one of those otherworldly monsters will kill me tonight._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is the book you wanted, right?" A large smile bloomed on Yorra's face and her cheeks tinged pink with happiness as she gently took the book from Mami's hands, marvelling at the smoothness of the cover. The old matriarch had a happy look on her face, watching as the petite Asian brunette flipped through the pages with excitement rarely seen on the demure girl. Her tiny hands held the thick book with a careful gentleness rarely seen wasted on books – it was like instead of an inanimate object, she was holding a little baby.

"T, Tha, Than, Thenk, Thank you, M-M-Mami" she whispered, her voice faint but elated as she placed it close to her chest, finding some kind of warmth between the smooth pages.

"You're very welcome, Yorra" she nodded at the young Korean before glancing at the ancient clock adorning the dormitory walls. It was approaching ten p.m. "Don't be up too late reading. If I remember well, the blue team will begin hardcore practice from tomorrow."

The girl paled considerably and with furrowed eyebrows, nodded shyly, muttering an indiscernible "Y-Y-Y-Yes." Sports was not her forte – it was not her forte at all. Despite being one of the school's best runners, she was worse than a loser at anything BUT track-and-field – her face had been smashed by a volleyball several times, her head had been bumped by a basketball God-knows-how-much, she'd sprained her ankle when she'd tried soccer, sprained her wrist when she'd tried tennis, almost drowned twice during swimming, fallen off a cliff during a cycling tour (thankfully, it had been only twenty metres high) and had a few more sport-related accidents. Fortunately for her, Sports Day was not actually a day where you had to participate in the aforementioned blood-tearing chores – she was actually a little excited for some of the events, particularly the races.

And then, she remembered the people on her team.

" _I'm gonna tear your f-ing arm of you motherf-ing son of a b!"_

" _If you touch my sister, I'll touch your heart – and crush it at the same time. With my fist."_

" _Hey, do you want a FUCKING PIECE OF POOP gum cause I have A BLOODY STRAWBERRY AND A PISSY MANGO with me. . . . . . Yeah, sorry for that SO NOT YOU ASSHOLE."_

" _Dun ye dare looka me!"_

" _Don'chya treasure ya're knees, man?"_

"You should go get some sleep, Yorra" Mami advised, sweat-dropping at the horror-struck expressions flitting through the girl's face. "You need it." With a dark aura looming over her, the sixteen year old slowly nodded and traipsed back to her room, looking like her soul had flown out of her. The matriarch sighed before turning around and walking off to attend to her own matters . . . . . . . . .

"No" she mumbled, eyes flying wide before she levitated in the air and flew off with great speed, just having realized that something was very, VERY wrong. "How could I have not noticed before . . . . . .?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Even before she'd walked in, she'd heard the tune – a tune she'd become used to by now. From what she could remember, Aria had told her it was her dad's favourite romantic tune and the one played at her parents' wedding but try as she might, she couldn't put a name to it. And Yorra also had a fair idea of the times Aria hummed the tune – it was a symbol that she was being troubled. So as to not startle her older roommate, she entered with the quietest of footsteps and gently tried to close the door behind her. However, the wooden structure betrayed her by creaking towards the end and the brunette slightly winced, becoming a little startled when the ginger British girl had suddenly turned her head to look at her. "H'ullo Yor~" she looked her usual self of the mysterious transfer student, not a trace of dilemma on her pale face. Eyeing the book, she gave a half-smirk "So Mams got de novella for ye, hn~? Das good, das good, yeah?~"

Yorra could only nod, realizing that she'd been staring at Aria for too long and immediately ripping away her gaze – only for it to be caught again by a small flowerpot laying near the seventeen year old's feet. Walking further into the room with her usual hesitant flare, the brunette stuttered "Is da, det, ta, that a-a-a-a-a-a-"

"Krtan'ta 'got it a practice t'day" she mumbled, picking up the pot and wiping at it with what seemed to be a large white handkerchief. "Figured I'd clean it up fo' him an' leaf it back 'morrow, yeah?~"

"O-O-Oh" was the only reply she got from Yorra who could not find the correct words to comment with. 'Why're you cleaning it up for him?' That's really nice of you!' 'Does he know? If he doesn't it's kinda wrong, isn't it?' 'Won't he get angry? He's pretty scary.' All of them sounded too mean to ask – besides, it wasn't like Aria was doing something wrong with it. The girl had already even changed into her sleepwear and tucked out her covers.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I'll get rea, read, ready for re-re-re-reti-tir-tiring too." She didn't even know why she said it – maybe because there was nothing else to say? (Despite the long time she'd spent with Aria, she still felt somewhat awkward around her at times – especially when she got a sinking feeling that her precious roommate was hiding a lot). Aria only replied with a musical hum and the brunette walked into their shared bathroom. She slowly peeled off her giraffe onsie and let it crumble to the floor, staring at her underwear clad, flat body in the full-length mirror . . . . . . .

Her left arm looked devastated and it was a wonder she'd kept it from the authorities' eyes for all this while. Even though her heart told her not too, her fingers seemed to work on their own, emerald eyes going into a trance as she pulled at the short hair strands on her right arm. Once more, she pulled. And once more, she pulled. And again, she pulled, this time peeling off a little skin. It hurt but she COULDN'T STOP.

She shifted to her stomach now, slowly running her fingers down the thin layer of hair – before grabbing them with quick fingers and roughly pulling out. Her thin fingers worked expertly, grabbing the small strands and picking them out, leaving behind bald-spots which were gradually enlarging the more she pulled. She suddenly brought her face close to the mirror, emerald eyes glazed, staring at the chunky eyebrows. Her fingers crawled over her face, moving like thick spiders walking over pale lips, a button nose and kind eyes before resting on the eyebrows, gently grabbing strands of dark brown hair. And—

SHE PULLED.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yorra came out, her hair wet from a shower and her body smelling like soap underneath her pale blue nightgown. Aria had already tucked herself into bed and was facing the wall on the adjacent side so she really couldn't tell if the girl was asleep or not. Finally having approached the much-waited part of the night, she had a smile on her face as she climbed in her own bed and turned on the night lamp. Then, picking up the book she'd left on the side table, she propped up against her pillows, pulled up the covers and flipped to the first page. It was a winter fantasy romance by her favourite author Rees Brenner and something she'd awaited for a long time – it'd been kind of Mami to get her the book after she'd mentioned it only once. To make up, Yorra promised to work twice as hard on her shift tomorrow.

'Snow fell hard against the cold pavement, making it difficult to keep awake.' Her eyes were drooping as an accompaniment to her lolling head but she was too excited to put down the book. 'The bitter cold was biting on her skin, travelling under her coat and creating Goosebumps against the tan flesh but she bore it all, her feet never stopping once during the walk. Through the dreary night, it was the smile on his face that kept her alive . . .'

 _It was cold. It was so bitterly cold._

 _She was absolutely tired of all the walking and running – escaping from those leering drunks had put an even bigger strain on her already exhausted legs and now, she didn't have the strength to even walk anymore. As soon as they'd been left far behind, she'd collapsed in an indiscreet corner of the many alleyways in the big city, her suitcase upright beside her, collecting the falling snow which the fourteen year old was trying to dust off from her pink coat and failing terribly. No matter how much she brushed it off, it would just pile up again. So she decided to leave it._

 _After all, she was going to die anyway. She was going to die in a small alleyway in Berlin because she did not know the way to her new school._

 _(Where was the Prince?)_

 _She tucked her knees below her chin, wrapping her thin arms tighter around herself in a vain effort to keep warm. But when it did not help in the slightest, she just buried her face in her arms and began sobbing. Sobbing more at her stupidity and pathetic self than at the fact she was going to die. 'I should've just . . . . . come with big brother . . . . .' To think she could've been an independent girl and survived on her own! What was she trying to prove anyway . . . . . that she wasn't only a weak girl who needed protecting all the time? And now . . . . ._

 _What had she gotten herself into?_

 _She missed South Korea – she terribly, TERRIBLY missed her homeland. The nice people, the warm climate, the vibrant street life, the close-knit feeling of community – Germany was a cold, hard contradiction to that. Here, people were unforgiving perfectionists and pioneers in the field of modernity. She could not recall a single face who had smiled kindly at her in this elite country. People seemed to have time for nothing as they were racing around in their branded cars, too busy to bother about a young, odd, dying girl. Life here seemed to amount to nothing._

 _(Would no Prince save her?)_

 _She bundled up even more, her teeth chattering against each other – the weather had chilled again. Life after father's death had become hard and despite the fact her brother had sworn to take care of her, she could not impose on a once independent bachelor. He would've to bear so much more responsibilities, taking up the guardianship of a disturbed, fragile younger sister and she did not . . . . . . she did not want to destroy her family anymore than she had. So she'd agreed to take a scholarship and study in Germany while her brother would continue to work in Korea._

 _She regretted it now. After being rejected from her dream Goethals, she'd been referred to and accepted in a quaint, practically unheard of school called Mami's School for the Socially Troubled. It was not an academically applauded place but the fact that mattered was they'd accepted her and she was bound to find more . . . . . . people like her. There would be no more disgusted stares, no behind-the-back whispers, no pitiful sneers . . . . . ._

 _For a teenager rejected from society, it was a Haven._

 _And yet, she wouldn't reach that Haven . . . . . ._

 _(Were Fairytales really a lie?)_

 _Her eyes were drooping close now and her skin had become numb to the cold, even the chunks of snow against her cheeks instilled no feelings. She yawned, her blue lips opening wide before they settled down again and her head rested against her knees. Sleep sounded nice, it sounded really nice. She was tired anyway. If she went to sleep, she'd never feel tired again . . . . . ._

" _DON'T YOU FUCKING CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Yorra was rudely awakened by a strong arm yanking her hand and with a shrill half-scream, she fell sideways into the snow. Her tears froze as she realized that the drunks (or maybe some other pervert) had found her and the thought that her body would be violated exploded a large shudder through her petite frame._

" _You're so Goddamn light!" She was as still as a statue as the unknown person lifted her up – his voice was young, teenager young and there was neither whiff of alcohol nor sound of a slur in his angry tone. Turning her head to look at him, the first thing she saw were glaringly crimson irises which shone like rubies under the scant street lamps. In the cold snow, the fiery orbs were marked contrasts with their burning lights and determined heat – then zooming out, she realized she was staring at the face of a young, handsome, Caucasian male who was around the same age as her but a lot more taller and stronger in frame. His locks were a lighter shade of brown than hers and were styled into the so very trending spiky style which had been a male favourite even back in Asia._

" _Are you mute or what?" he growled, helping the shocked girl stand to her feet but when excruciating pain shot through both her calves, she uttered a cry and flopped back down on the snow, her legs bundled beneath her. Tears escaped her like a cascading waterfall and the boy, shocked and terribly confused, mumbled "O-Oi, are you hurt?! Don't cry! I-I'll take you to a doctor, okay?!"_

 _He outstretched both his arms and curled his fingers, gesturing her to take their support to stand up. She hiccupped, water running down both her eyes and red button nose and stuttered "I-I-I-I-I-I-I can-t stan, sten, stand, stand up . . . . . . . ."_

" _What?" he exclaimed in confusion at her speech pattern and slight hint of Asian but as she stared down at her uselessly buckled legs, he seemed to slowly realize. "Awww, fuck." She flinched at the harsh cuss, looking deathly frightened like he was about to kill her. "You have frostbite." She slowly nodded, watching wordlessly as he rubbed his face with one hand in a gesture of exhaustion, handsome face creased with lines of worry. In the pale street lights, surrounded by the white snow and dark houses, he was a sign of burning fire with his crimson eyes, burnished hair and scarlet jacket. Even without touching him, Yorra could feel the boy emit a strange heat, a warmth which was comforting yet scalding at the same time – however, for some reason, she wanted to embrace that warmth even if it burned her._

 _And when he bent down in front of her, his back facing her and arms poised, she leaned in to the heat, wanting to embrace it tightly around her chest and feel the protectiveness wrap around her freezing body – before social norms smashed into her conscience at the intimate suggestion. She stared hard, her paper white cheeks slowly flushing into the shade of ripe apples when she realized what he meant – however, overcome with uncertainty and embarrassment, she remained frozen, the cold seeping even more into her body. But for some reason, she couldn't feel its bite anymore. The boy impatiently turned to look at her and snapped "Are you waiting for a fucking written invitation?!" Ignoring her flinch and teary eyes, he continued "Get on before you turn into a snowman!"_

" _U-U-U-Um w-well-"_

 _He emitted some sort of a guttural growl similar to a cranky lion cub and voiced lowly "Shall I carry you bridal style then?"_

" _E-E-E-E-E-EHHHHH?!"_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

" _This is too much of a coincidence" Robin sighed, his hot breath creating flurry trails in the freezing air as he slowly tottered along the road, a cute, petite Asian bundled on his back, her skinny arms wrapped around his neck. "So you're going to Mami 'cause of your speech problem?"_

 _Yorra briefly considered telling him about her Trichotillomania but then she remembered the disgusted pairs of eyes which had stared at her in Goethals, sizing her down like she had been a piece of trash. The fact that he was a problem child ('anger management issues!' he'd screamed) somewhat comforted her (even though she knew it was a little twisted) but she still could not bring herself to trust him with the information. "Ye, ye, yes" she stuttered, her voice utterly low and filled with embarrassment – if her mouth wasn't right next to his ear, he'd never have heard it amongst the cacophony of racing cars._

" _You're an awfully quiet person, aren't you, Yorra?" The brunette's eyes widened when he casually called her name – the way her syllables rolled off his tongue in his passionate voice sent pools of heat to her cheeks. "And quite a stupid one too" he harshly chuckled and her lips turned downward, her eyebrows arching in embarrassed sadness – the idea of him thinking her as an idiot bothered her. Even though it shouldn't have. "Did you really think you could've made it to Mami's school by 'walking', retard?"_

 _She had no idea where it was – the people at Goethals had told her it was situated on the outskirts of Berlin. So in a moment of courage and independence, she'd left her brother at their hotel with a note signalling that she'd gone towards her new destination and she'd call him after she reached it. Following a path of narrow lanes and increasingly shabby houses, the Asian girl had walked off on a mission to show that she had a backbone and wasn't a pushover as everyone made her out to be._

 _However, all of that had ended wonderfully with being chased by perverted rapists, almost dying of the cold, getting a frostbite and making a fool of herself in front of an incredibly handsome boy._

 _Wait . . . . . ._ _ **incredibly handsome BOY?!**_

' _T-The cold must be making my brain foggy.' She nodded, and satisfied herself with that reasoning for the moment. However, when she looked up again, over Robin's shoulder, her eyes widened._

 _That . . . . . . in front of them . . . . . . situated near the building . . . . . . ._

 _Her jade eyes widened impossibly, irises wavering._

" _Welcome back, young master." This was just like the old English movies – an elderly man with neatly trimmed hair and beard, an archaic monocle and expensive seeming clothes with a large black overcoat fastened over what seemed to be a tuxedo. Like the ones classy butlers with rich employees wore._

 _. . . . . Oh my God._

" _Lay off the formalities, old man" Robin sighed, slackening his hold on the brunette who was unable to take her eyes of the noir beauty that was the Aston Martin. "Stop dazing off and climb into the seat, retard" he smirked, helping Yorra climb into the back seat as the elderly butler put her luggage in the car. The young girl was currently in a daze, unable to believe in the sudden turn of luck – wasn't this similar to those fairytales where the young princesses were saved by princes charming? She definitely felt like one now (even though he was not a typical prince) – and she could not even mutter how grateful she was to him._

 _The elderly man nodded at her in recognition and blushing at the show of acknowledgement, she jerkily bowed forward, flinching in pain when the sudden movement bit into her muscles. "Take it easy there, retard" Robin chuckled lightly as he jumped in to sit beside Yorra, who broke into quiet flusters at their sudden proximity – yes, he'd just given her a piggyback and there WAS a third person in the car with them but . . . . . ._

" _U-U-Uh-Umm-mmm-"_

" _What?" his tone came out sharper than expected and she flinched a little, pinching at the strands of hair on her left arm. He was staring out the window, chin propped up on one hand against the closed ledge, burning eyes staring away into the white darkness. Observing him from the front, Yorra noticed – there was a scared light in those fiery orbs._

 _But it disappeared as soon as he whipped his head to look at her, the heated gaze flaming her intensely._

" _I-I-I-I-I-I" her teeth chattered against each other, stubbornly scaring her from biting her tongue and preventing words from filtering out. "Tha, Tha, Tha-"_

" _You're welcome" he mumbled, returning back to his own reverie, staring out the windows again with unusual concentration. She felt gloom furrow in her heart, her lips clenching tight and fingers groping each other hard as she dug them within the crevice of her skirt. It was bad, this feeling was bad – a constant source of anxiety slowly eating her up, an anxiety seemingly triggered by this unfamiliar, kind boy._

 _Robin noticed the depressed expression on her face and sighed, rather loudly "I'm not the kind of person you think I am." She looked up slowly, her innocent eyes curious. "I just happened to see you while staring out of my window." He continued babbling, his fists clenching "That's all there is to it. Any other person would've done the same thing if they'd noticed you bundled up in that snow. I'm not some Goddamn Messiah-"_

" _Yo, yo, you are t, th, de, the one who h-h-h-h-heard m-my pra-ye-ya-yers though." She hated how much her teeth clamped up against each other. He regarded her from the corner of her eye as she continued, babbling now "I-I-I-I was so, so cold an, an, and tired af, af, after running fro, from those dr, dr, drunk men."_

' _Drunk men?' Yorra did not notice the clenched fists or gritted teeth caused by her sentence._

" _I-I-I-I was gon, gon, gonna die" she had to clench back her tears with great effort as she remembered the cold snow piled all around her, the feeling of distress swallowing her in that snow white alley. "I-I-I-I'd asked God for a P-Pr-Prince and then, then, then" Robin stared at her, blazing eyes widening considerably. "Y-Y-Y-You came" she ended her babbling with an awkward, blushing smile, looking up at him, her pale cheeks gaining colour from the heater inside the car._

 _His eyes bore deep into hers, incredulous and unbelieving – before he abruptly broke contact and burst into peals of uncontrollable laughter. Yorra flushed a deep crimson with embarrassment, wishing terribly the Earth would swallow her up at the moment – she'd made him laugh. She'd made a fool out of herself again!_

" _AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!" his toned arms pressed over his flat tummy, trying in vain to keep his sides from hurting. The louder his amused voice rang in the aching quiet of the Berlin streets, the more desperately Yorra wished to disappear. "P-P-Prince?" he sputtered, hiccups breaking through his sentence from too much laughter. She felt tears of humiliation spring up in her eyes before the laughter resided and she felt his hand give a hard pat to the top of her head. "Stop putting your head into those shitty fairytales too much kid." 'Kid?' "They mess you up beyond recovery – real life is much more of a bitch-in-your-face. Besides" he flicked his fingers through the spiked locks, the smirk on his lips sending another wave of heat to the younger girl's cheeks. "I'm too cool to be a stupid Prince."_

 _(The first person to smile at me)._

" _I-I-I-I'm f-fo-fo-fourteen."_

" _WHAT THE FUCK?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE TEN!"_

" _E-E-E-E-E-E-E-EH?!"_

"~Carz un de tehbe, we're both showin' hearz.~" Aria stared at the sleeping Yorra, reliving her dream – she had suspected it. She had suspected it for a long time. But she'd always held firmly onto the belief that she was reading into things too much, doubting too much, leaning into her paranoia too much. But the feelings that swirled in Yorra's mind, the emotions, the memories, the nostalgia –

She couldn't ignore them anymore.

" **You should just ignore them, Carrot**." She could hear her – the girl who was on all her fours, the dreary hospital gown a loose heap over her emaciated frame, her chapped, cold lips whispering in Aria's ear. " **We can go back to our old life – just you and me again**."

"~'Cause all of me. Loves all of ye~." Yorra shifted over, her dreams sweetened by the pretty voice. Aria slowly collapsed on her bed, her hands clenched tightly over her folded knees, a single tear silently dripping down her chin.

" **Accept me again, Carrot"** she whispered, lying on top of Aria, her bony hands so soft and so real against the seventeen year's chest. **"Forget about them. Forget about Robin."** Aria bit her lip, her fringe dipping down to reveal a past scar, eyes straining to hold back salty tears.

 _(He'd taken them away from her. He'd taken away Garri already. And now Yorra too . . . . . ._

 _Robin had taken away everything)._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _ **In the small village, people frequently speak of a fairytale.**_

 _ **The tale starts with the introduction of a powerful Lord, one who was said to have been able to train vicious demons to his own will – small demons, big demons, scary demons, incredibly horrifying demons, nightmarish demons. Crowned the 'Demon Lord', he was looked at with eyes filled of amazement and fear, his existence hanging in the middle, unable to cross to either side in the minds of the villagers. He was both a hunter and a saviour, a creator and a destroyer, a tamer and a wildling – a man of the utmost contradictions.**_

 _ **One day, on a faithful evening that impacted the lives of thousands, this man found a young woman being hunted by a malicious creature, hounding both her body and soul, its dark eyes feasting lustfully on her willowy frame while its mouth salivated for the nourishment of her flesh. The Demon Lord brutally executed the beast in a legendary battle, dismembering it into twelve pieces, which were carried away by swift sea waves and distributed all over the world – however, though triumphant, the man had suffered vexing injuries of his own in a bid to protect a woman's pride.**_

 _ **She nursed him back to health for a long number of days, deeply indebted in gratitude for preserving the sanctity of both her body and soul and in those lonely times, a passionate, romantic bond grew between the two. With their fingers entwined, they vowed to the Seven Heavens to dedicate their lives to each other, in despair or in joy, in health or in sickness, in wealth or in poverty. A peaceful life descended upon the two and they spent their days with concord, the former Demon Lord resigning from his adventurous lifestyle to open up a nursery with his wife. As the fruit of their passion bloomed, the lady soon found out she was pregnant.**_

 _ **They were happy. They were so, SO happy . . . . . . . nothing could ruin their lives now.**_

Asriel jolted up in bed in cold sweat, his bony chest heaving up and down, snow white mane matted all over his shoulders, clinging onto the pallid skin with perspiration. Beside him lay Nyx, whose mismatched eyes slowly blinked open until she realized the shivering form of her lover and rose up as quickly as possible, the covers falling off her to reveal a seductive, lacy, black nightie wrapped around her hourglass frame, her large breasts almost spilling out of the top cups. "Honey, what's wrong?" she cupped his hollow cheeks with her soft palms and he stopped his violent shudders but his teeth crashed against each other in a grating cacophony of chatter and his eyes had lost their usual cheer and kindness, now looking fraught with fear and vapid with despair.

"B-B-Bad dream" he hoarsely muttered, looking into the distance, gaining some comfort from the fact that they slept in a separate bedroom of the greenhouse and that his beloved children were only a few metres away from the glass door on the other side. Nyx bit her lower lip, dampening the cupid's bow as she continued rubbing his back, worriedly listening to him continue "It was sca-sca-scary . . . . . r-really, really scary. T-T-T-T-There was a lot of blood an-and body parts an-and flesh an-and . . . . . ." When he trailed off, the seventeen-year old president's worries were confounded with a solid nail.

"It was just a nightmare, sweetheart" she whispered, leaning forward to peck Asriel's cheeks affectionately, pressing her lips against the Goosebumps-dotted skin, her lean arms thrown around his emaciated frame. "Besides, no one can hurt you because **I** am here, honey." Her eyes narrowed as the face of an unmasked, petite schoolmate flashed through her mind, her brain flashing vivid images of an incident which had transpired almost a year ago. Nyx's grip around Asriel grew tighter and she pushed his face in between her soft cups, patting his head, brushing her slim fingers through the silken locks of his hair, which was now beginning to recede into a jade tinge. "I SWEAR I will not let anyone lay even a finger on you. You have my PROMISE." He slowly looked up, white pupils staring into her determined orbs and he smiled, pale, thin lips stretching taut over his handsome face, faint impressions of teeth pressing against the slender skin.

She smiled softly back at him-which broke into a surprised moan when his hands travelled under her thin singlet, skilled fingers crawling up the olive skin with experience and familiarity and as Nyx threw back her head, ringlets flickering over to lay down on the bed-

The door to the greenhouse slammed open. "'Ones'ly, su'times me dink-" Eris had only stormed in, her face angry and mouth ready to berate her sister and brother-in-law before she scanned the compromising position they were in and clamped her hands over her mouth, face a sickening mixture of deep blue and dark crimson. She immediately spun around, stumbled out, shut the door and the (now hurriedly dressing) couple could hear sounds of someone retching outside.

"I-I hope Eris isn't doing that over my children" Asriel was on the verge of tears for the safety of his children as his long fingers quickly fumbled to tie up the buttons on his teal dress shirt.

Nyx remained adamantly quiet but her tan cheeks were painfully red from embarrassment at the blatant humiliation – she pulled her turquoise cheongsam over her body (which, she noted with happiness, perfectly matched with Asriel's teal dress shirt) and fixed her hair as quickly as she could, then bent down to tie up her golden gladiators. Her boyfriend had already gotten ready and both of them walked out to find Eris – of course, the fifteen year old had often seen them kiss and hug but NEVER participating in something so risqué.

Said young girl, dressed in her signature leather body suit and heeled boots (almost merging into the darkness with all that black), was chugging down a bottle of water when she turned around after hearing the door closing. She turned around, having somewhat recovered from her prior disgust but her eyes spoke that they'd been permanently scarred with trauma. "I dun 'stand was de use ofa lock" she hissed, keeping her voice low but firm with irritation.

"And I" Nyx started, willing her stubborn blush to fade at least in front of her younger sister (whose respect for her must've taken a drastic low) "Don't understand why you didn't knock. I suppose I've taught you some basic etiquette, Eris." A desperate move to get out of embarrassment – look for the little sister's weakness.

"A DINT haf tym ta knock, Nyx!" Said little sister looked like she was about to explode at any moment, her short hair almost bristling up into angry spikes but remembering it was her older sister she was talking to, her anger subsided into a more mellowed form of annoyance and she crossed her arms. She grumbled "Tis ma missun ta'day, if ye've 'gotten." Both Nyx and Asriel shared a bashful look of realization as the fifteen-year old continued "A' waited quate a lot fuh ye

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The fierce wind bit into her cheek and skin, penetrating through the skin-tight leather with harsh ease and eating into her skin but she stood with fierce determination, unwilling to relent into the vagary of weather. Nyx and Asriel were on top of the Greek ruins, the President sitting on an open handkerchief as she swung her legs to and fro while Asriel leaned over broken balcony – the structure was the bits and remains of a huge, historical coliseum located in the small island of Samos. Although a tourist spot, they were here in the off-seasons and deep in the interiors, far away from the small and scattered habitats near the coast. With a perfect view of the upcoming battle, Asriel stated "It has arrived."

Nyx made no reply, her eyes only focused on her sister.

Eris braced herself against the sharp cuts of the wind, her short champagne locks blown away from her face and forehead as a large mass of swirling winds accumulated in a single core several feet away from her, creating a dark coloured hole which emitted strange, animalistic screeches. Her lips formed a large grin, excited yet nervous, as a large arm, human in shape but a sickly, dark grey in colour, appeared out of the hole – slowly pulling out a large body, of a naked human female. A six-armed, naked human female, ash-coloured with her genitals exposed, stepped out of the hole, after which the winds faded and the miasma disappeared. It crawled forward with slow speed, jaw seemingly unhinged as it failed to close up the cavernous mouth with saliva glistening and dripping down the black lips. There were deep gashes and cuts over the creature's body, particularly a deep slit on its forehead which resembled a third eye.

Asriel watched the tightening of Nyx's balled fists as the monstrous figure threw back her shaggy, dark locks and moved all of her arms violently on noting the approaching figure of the younger Seraphim. "A Rakshasa of all breeds" the older sister mumbled, biting her bowed lower lip even as her better half geared his brain to the Breed lessons.

' _Rakshasas: One of the largest Breeds and with incredibly high strength, high durability and average speed to boot. Multi-armed with the numbers ranging anywhere from four to twelve but have below average intelligence and rather clumsy movements.'_

"This is almost a perfect opponent for Eris" Asriel encouragingly said, sneaking his hand to comfortingly grasp the sweaty palm of Nyx – he knew she was fearful of letting her sister fight alone.

"I know her statistical valuations are an advantage over the Rakshasa breed with her focused, precise mixed martial arts but" Nyx turned her face to stare up at Asriel, her eyes reflecting barely suppressed anguish. ". . . . she's just fifteen. Far, far too young to be doing anything like this . . . . ."

"We were a year younger during OUR first time, Angel." Asriel's lips murmured on her forehead, his bony fingers weaving a solemn, beautiful blue iris into her wine ringlets _**(the symbol of faith).**_ Her own delicate fingers brushed against its petals even as the skinny young man gave her one of his sweetest smiles. "Eris has a lot of potential – you just need to trust her more."

"I DO have faith in her" she stressed with uncertain resolve before the inadvertent clash caught her sight. "I'm just . . . . . worried."

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Eris had used her Essence 'Absorption' to turn her right arm into a hard block of marble which most of the ruins seemed to be built from – it was not an especially hard material but it was easy to control and put decent damage if she could hit a vital spot. Although the Rakshasa was a good twelve feet tall, she also had a secret weapon – taking advantage of the brutal winds, she'd absorbed their properties into her lower limbs and left hand, effectively creating unstable cores of revolving winds which seemed to replace her legs and arms. With a slight push, she was effectively up in the air and before the Rakshasa could react, the petite-bodied student was near her face and used her left hand to give a smashing punch to the creature's jaw, causing it to flinch and _almost_ land on the ground – manoeuvring her body expertly, Eris used her powerful left leg to give a second blow to the Rakshasa and it seemed to scream in pain as the wind blade tore through its skin.

It growled in pain, staggering back a few steps and cradling the fresh, large cut on its cheek, dark, inhumane blood clinging to the dirty, ragged fingers. Eris landed on the ground and grinned devilishly, her pixie locks faintly matted with sweat. The Rakshasa, with its ghostly, pale cerulean eyes, stared at her in shock – before its eyebrows furrowed in anger and it screamed again, all of its arms swooping in to catch the young girl.

Although Nyx's attention was fully focused on the fight, Asriel looked vaguely disturbed by something. _(That scream . . . . . it was almost as if-)_

"Ama' lil' tuh qwik fuh ye, monstah?" Although the hands seemed to swoop in from all directions, they were a little too big and too slow to grab hold of the nimble footed girl who, even with heeled boots on, managed to dodge every single swipe using the flexibility and small size of her body as leverage. With building rage, the Rakshasa's swipes grew harder and faster but not only did she continue to dodge, she also used her elementally-powered limbs to inflict damage on the creature with every move.

The Rakshasa, screaming and growling for the umpteenth time, raised all of its arms to try and smash the young girl in one fell swoop – but she rolled away with ease, jumping to a safer distance.

 _Dammit,_ the fifteen-year old, though on the winning side, was beginning to get worried, _even though I've given it numerous wounds while avoiding any all this while, its vital spots are still out of my reach._ Standing up and running towards the barrelling monster, she powered up her legs to hover in the air, screaming "LES EN'IT, SHALL WE?!"

Powering herself up with a loud roar, Eris spun her body around until it resembled a small yet dangerously powerful tornado, her skin and eyes hurting from the intense force and speed but she compelled herself to bear it all, planning to crush the Rakshasa's chest and heart with the fatal velocity. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Rakshasa stared at the encroaching figure of the little girl, bringing its arms close to its head-

"ERIS!" Nyx cried, stepping forward only for Asriel to firmly grip her wrist. _(Come on, Eri.)_ Asriel's locks were slowly turning into a shade of white.

 _ **(You really think she's gonna win?! AHAHA!)**_

But before he could retort to those words, something happened. Eris did crash into the Rakshasa and even broke through two of its arms, severely damaging them in the process but her speed and power lowered when she reached the third arm – making it easy for the creature to grab her. Her rotating body was squeezed by two massive hands and like a ragdoll, she was thrown into the ground, creating a shallow crater underneath.

"FU-CK!" she cried in pain as her back roughly hit the ground and her body jerked up once, before coming down to a crashing halt again. Despite the excruciating pain, she tried to rise up on staggering legs, her limbs having returned to their normal state. Seeing the approaching shadow of the Rakshasa, her eyes roved quickly over the ground until they fell upon a large stone – she clutched it in both hands and used her Absorption to swallow its properties until both of her lean arms turned rock hard, tingeing to a shade of dark grey with minute cracks and crevices running upon them. Dodging the Rakshasa's attempts to grab her by a few seconds, she jumped out of the crater and took a safe distance, trying to come up with a solution which would let her effectively end the battle soon while avoiding any dire hits to her legs and back.

 _(What would Nyx do?)_ However, there was no time as the Rakshasa recklessly attacked her with its many arms, appearing faster than before and as she prepared to dodge and take long strides backwards, a sharp pain shot through her ankle and broke her balance, her firm legs turning into jelly as she fell sideways into the ground, scratches adorning her right. Eris barely had time to catch her breath before the creature gripped her neck with a huge hand, tightening its hold as it slowly lifted her up. Lungs burning, she opened her to mouth to take in a large gasp of air but the fist enclosed even more, causing her eyes to burn and water, her arms flailing around like deadweight as she tried to hit the monster but to no avail as it easily endured the weak punches.

Her legs kicked back and forth but slowly, as her soul began to realize its hopelessness, her kicks gradually filtered down, until darkness closed in from all sides-

"DIE."

There was a soft explosion.

The Rakshasa screamed as it felt something pierce cleanly through the centre of its heart – a thick, pointed ice bullet tore through its ribcage, creating a large hole in its chest. As its grip loosened on Eris and she fell back, her saliva-stained lips took in big gulp of oxygen, bringing an eternal soothe to her burnt lungs but instead of the hard ground, she fell into a pair of lean, firm arms. The huge monster turned back painfully to look at its killer, even as crystals of ice shaped out from its chest, slowly enveloping its huge frame into an encasement of hoarfrost. Before it died, it saw a beautiful face glaring at it, dual-coloured eyes rigged with anger and _**utter hate,**_ and even while it fell, long having surrendered to death, that burning gaze of loathe never left its mind.

Eris was breathing hard in Asriel's arms, her neck tinged with excruciating red marks of long, jagged fingers, her body limp and sweat-soaked even in the cool, windy climate. The male's snow-white locks were slowly began to recede into their original tinges of a shifting rainbow spectrum. "She's alive, she's alive." His monotone did little to comfort the internally storming Nyx who lovingly caressed the forehead of her harshly gasping sister, her eyes tortured by a flurry of negative emotions. "She's okay, Nyx." She merely gave a barely discernible nod, continuing to pat and run her hands over the fifteen-year old – _**it had been so, so close.**_

 _(If only I wasn't so PATHETICALLY lacking in speed and physical strength)._ The polished silver revolver in her hand rapidly shifted into a steel bracelet around her right wrist. Over the corpse of the Rakshasa hovered a dark, hard-coloured jewel shaped in the form of an angular crystal – Nyx quickly collected it inside a glass bottle, where it continued to float, before a core similar to the one the Rakshasa had emerged from appeared in front of them – however, instead of a violent purple, it was a shade of pale, luminescent cerulean.

"That looks painful" Kim insensitively nodded to the finger marks pressed against Eris' olive skin – Nyx made no reply, merely walking straight into the orb past Kim, emerging in front of the gates of 'Mami's School for the Socially troubled.' Asriel just nodded at the Asian teacher, who uttered a huge yawn in reply – as soon as he'd walked through, the portal to the Greek island of Samos closed, the dead body of the huge creature having already started decaying.

Asriel languidly followed his lover and teacher, a sleeping Eris in his arms. Before he could turn in through the gate, however, he heard a pleased chuckle echo through his head:

 _ **(Told you she'd lose, didn't I?)**_

For the moment, he had no reply – he was just too tired.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurumi watched from behind the shelter of her mask as the tiny cat she'd rescued wobbled after her into her dark basement room, gauze neatly wrapped around its wound by Dr. Shurik. Mami had been in the middle of an important phone call when she'd walked in but the matriarch had gestured that she'd find a home for the feline tomorrow. For now, the kitty would've had to stay in her room.

Which Kurumi had no problem with. She'd kept a platypus and an anteater before – a kitty was normal.

She took back her words as soon as the little feline walked to her prized snack drawer . . . . . and peed over its legs.

Rarely expressed irritation flared through her and with a small explosive sound, the tiles around a circular radius of Kurumi cracked and broke, leaving the floor only covered with an underlying layer of cement. A very dark aura overtook her as the faint smell of urine floated into her nostrils from under the mask and all metallic items placed near her floated up into the air, hovering around the cat. Instead of shaking in fear, the snow-coloured being's eyes seemed to be filled with wonder and amazement at the feat and purring lovingly, it rubbed against her bare, pale legs.

The teenage girl continued staring at it before she slowly let the things settle back into their places. Emitting a quiet sound that resembled a sigh, she clicked her fingers and the urine immediately evaporated into nothingness, the rancid smell fading until it seemed like nothing had happened at all. Slowly, the cat hovered up until it was exactly at face level, its large hazel eyes blinking innocently and curiously at her. "Are you trolling God?" she mumbled, her voice echoing due to the mask. "You're an incredibly lucky cat, Garbage." While the cat still hovered in the air, she turned her attention to a soft, pale pink rug situated next to her bed and used her Essence to unroll it and place it next to her bed. Then, she shifted the cat and plopped it down on the rug.

Kurumi floated to a large steel cupboard in a dark corner of her room and as she lay suspended a few centimetres off the ground, the cupboard's door opened and she folded her arms, staring at her precious objects with focused concentration. Resting deep in thought, her brows were furrowed underneath her mask but after careful contemplation, she was finally done.

"Kurumi will sleep with Choco-kun tonight." She picked up a chocolate-coloured stuffed toy dog from amidst her plushie collection, turning around as the steel door closed on its own. Despite her monstrous intellect, selecting a plushie to sleep with at night was the most difficult challenge she faced everyday – she had to equally divide the nights between them otherwise they were likely to get into verbal and even physical bouts. She had very jealous soft toys.

As she glided to bed, she saw that Garbage had already fallen fast asleep, it's slender legs stretched out fully and body having gone limp, small mouth faintly open to intake shallow breaths. She stepped out from her oversized straitjacket as it clumped to the floor, her undeveloped, flat body completely nude underneath. Just as the drawer of her wardrobe slid open, she lifted a pair of puppy-printed pyjamas from inside and within seconds, had quickly donned them. Finally ready for the night, she tucked into bed, lifted the covers to engulf both her and Choco-kun and turned away.

It had only been a few minutes since she'd lay down.

"How long do you plan on watching God sleep, Garbage?" Her back was turned to the tall figure who stood in the room – and a gleeful peal of laughter escaped him.

"Heeheeheehee!" The figure would've been more fitting in a child's birthday then at a teenage mental asylum, for he was dressed in the outfit of a Joker, complete with a multi-coloured afro wig, a ball-shaped red nose, white face paint and every inch of his body covered with a frilled rainbow-coloured onsie, gloves and shoes. "You have the body of a kid, friend! Are you really" he easily dodged a flying metallic baseball bat by stepping to the side "fourteen years old? Or did Master" he again swiftly dodged it when it approached him from the back "make a mistake? Heeheeheehee!"

The Clown's hazel eyes sparkled with excitement, thick, swollen lips painted with a vibrant red stretching into a large grin. Kurumi's movements were slow and ominous, her body ramrod straight and flowing up into the air before it stopped right at his eye level and made a swift turn, to showcase her masked face staring directly at him, only inches away. "Talk about God's body and I'll dismember yours."

All the metallic objects in the more hovered once again but this time, they were blindingly fast as they shot towards the Clown, who just laughed gleefully again "HEEHEEHEEHEE!" before dodging each and every object with fast reflexes, pieces of cutlery, tin boxes and other various paraphernalia. Meanwhile, Kurumi had fetched a bottle filled with iron sand from under her bed and cranking open the lid, she flexed her fingers causing a part of the sand to filter out and be shaped into a precise, sharp-bladed dagger. The object flew around even amidst the attack of the other metallic things but even as the Clown bounced around using its advanced acrobatics, the dagger used its harsh speed to trail after him.

Kurumi's hidden eyes contracted as the sharp blade hovered mere centimetres away from his heart but before it could plunge through . . . . . .

"Not so fast, underdeveloped brat." He ominously announced and in front of a faintly surprised Kurumi, his body stretched and thinned down, moving with inhumane elasticity as the dagger missed by few good inches due to reduced body mass and the man grabbed a window bar with his over-lengthened limb before swinging out and escaping into the pitch black.

Kurumi, ignoring her unappealing outfit, floated to the window bars before they bent away to allow her exit after the Clown – the night was pitch black with a patch of dark clouds rushing to shadow the moon but the sight of a colourful figure escaping into the deep forest did not escape her and she soared after him from a few inches above the ground, her brain having already brokered enough information of him from the very first moment she'd found him in the disguise of a cat. Even then, she'd known that something was very fishy – (the cat's appearance was too smooth for it to have been born in the wild and no one from the nearby city of Berlin had enough time to abandon a pet in the middle of the distant forests. On top of that, a cat approaching a human, though not impossible, was unusual but even with all these presumptions . . . . . .)

"God's heart is still too soft" she murmured quietly to herself, calm and undeterred despite the looming shadows of the thick evergreens. "Even though there was an attack this morning . . . . . . ." Her eyes narrowed. "God has underestimated the circumstances."

She came to an abrupt stop in the little clearing where she'd found 'Garbage' – as her naked feet pattered down on the soft, dew wet grass, her ears and brain were at focused work, looking for the faintest abnormalities in the night atmosphere, filtering through the occasional hoots and far away howls, the sound of leaves rubbing softly against each other, the mellow cries of the wind.

She swiftly raised her right arm and as soon as it came into contact with the gigantic boulder flung at her, it disintegrated into such tiny pieces that minute pieces fell down on the grass in the form of powdered stone. "Wonderful, wonderful!" from the darkness, echoed heartfelt applause. "You are really as strong as we imagined, God of Cataclysm, Kirigaya Kurumi!" The young girl swerved around as she disintegrated a larger, more solid boulder from the opposite direction, even as her brain worked to pinpoint the exact location of the Clown's babbles. They seemed to surround her in a veil of chatter, rotating around her, even as she spotted an uprooted tree come revolving towards her and walking towards it, she stood with utmost cool before lifting a palm and on immediate contact, the huge structure had completely disintegrated into nothingness, not leaving behind a single sign of its existence.

As merry laughter barged towards her from all sides, she stood still and focused – before lifting her head towards the northeast and rotated her arms at immense speed for a few seconds, creating a barrage of concentrated blades of wind which completely uprooted the grass in their way, blazing towards her target and with a roaring shout, they completely uprooted a long line of tall, heavy-standing trees, extending for at least five-hundred metres before losing the accumulated energy and fading away.

"Heh." Kurumi's eyes widened as she felt hot breath waft over her left shoulder but tried to slam her hand into the body of the annoying pest – only to have him appear before her eyes, head cocked and painted lips still pulled into a grisly smile. "He he he he" he grinned, showing off a row of straight, yellow teeth "You're as strong as you're cute, brat."

Darting forward, she formed a small ball with her right hand, creating an orb of crackling electricity before trying to slam it into Garbage's body – he avoided with ease, as she'd predicted and then . . . . .

(she smirked behind her mask)

The ball burst and a powerful jolt of electricity exploded over the man's body, flinging him into the air with the heat of its compressed energy, reducing his body to a vibrating, shaking mass of lump flesh and when he fell down on the ground, the expanse of painted skin and colourful clothing had been burned a dark black and riddled with charred flesh and carbonated ash. Kurumi stood watching, completely still, waiting for a flail or even a blinking of ashes, any sign to show he was alive. His face had become unrecognizable and most of the colourful afro burned off, only bits and pieces still stuck to his singed scalp. She stared at the whole line of flora that had been destroyed by her compressed Essence but even then, it was far, far less from what she'd destroyed from last time.

Her attention fluttered to the Clown anymore – or his scorched remains. There was no heaving of his chest and she was affirmative that his heart had stopped beating so turning around, she made her way to the school, assured that Mami and the President would take care of the rest.

"He he he he." The bare feet immediately stopped as the familiar chime greeted her again, her face half-turning back. "Forgetting me already, boob-less twit?"

She did not even need to look to know he was standing directly in front of her, head cocked to the left, still grinning twisted with his crimson lips and yellow teeth. "God commands to know" she spoke, low voice muttering icily "Who are you?"

(what is he?)

(this person who refused to die. but unlike Raven and Q, he annoyed her to no end.)

"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" That nasal voice flared something hateful in her and sparks of thunder simmered all around, creating a rotating armour around the fourteen-year old. But the Clown managed to evade all the random bolts by shifting from place to place, his speech unaffected. "I am Clown of the Neo-13" he announced with sudden nobility, a fist on his chest and a hand folded behind his back, bending forward rigidly. The electricity flickered off as Kurumi continued for him to speak, her brain running through eight hundred and seventy seven notions. "We shall always be watching you, Kirigaya Kurumi, and your friends. For to achieve our goals, we require a precious life – a life which lays dormant in the school you so protect."

Behind her mask, her garnet eyes slowly widened.

An orb – a very familiar, dark portal – materialized behind Clown but even though she could've stopped him from climbing through it and shredded him to pieces in those seconds of vulnerability, she remained standing, watching, imprinting, analysing _EVERYTHING._ "Farewell, brat." There was just the tiniest glimpse of a figure – a dark-cloaked woman on the other side – and as a goodbye greeting, Kurumi sent a powerfully-charged ball of electricity inside. However, before she could note the results, the gate had disappeared.

"God has nor friends neither any need for them" she murmured to the empty winds, contradicting Garbage's earlier sentence.

"Why didn't you-" she was not the least bit surprised by his panting voice – given his more than occasional night walks, he was bound to turn up sooner or later (although she'd been expecting him much sooner. But it was better this way, so she had no complains). "-stop them?" Robin wiped the sweat of his brow that matted his hazel locks to his forehead, stopping behind Kurumi. "I know you were fully capable of it, br-" He stopped himself just in time. He wasn't at all afraid of the petite, diminutive fourteen-year old twit but midnight was really NOT THE TIME he wanted to engage in a one-on-one with (arguably) the school's strongest student.

Besides, all that running had eaten quite a portion of his energy.

Kurumi, meanwhile, knew what Robin had almost referred to her as and as much as she would've adored frying his toned derriere, there was a larger problem troubling her at the moment, looming across her mind. So, without any acknowledgement towards his existence beside her, she turned back and started walking towards the school.

"Oi, Kirigaya!" Robin exclaimed, having tied his hoodie over his waist leaving his muscular, built upper body covered only by his red tank. Damn that conceited little twat – just cause she was a little stronger than him and had defeated him twice did NOT mean she could treat him like some sort of inferior sewer rat. "Listen, brat, as much as I know that you have a delusional inclination of raising yourself to a superior pedestal from us other humans, this is a large-scale problem which threatens the sanctity of our school. You're not the only victim of it."

Kurumi, only a few steps ahead, stopped walking but did not turn back. "Sawyer."

Both physically and mentally bracing himself, he grumbled "What?"

The creepy child half-turned back, the visors of her black, intricately built mask glinting faintly under the pale moonlight penetrating through the thick canopy. "If you tell anyone about God's nightwear" – it was only then that he noticed just how RIDICULOUS those puppy-printed pyjamas looked on the school's (arguably) most feared student - "God will make sure the only thing left of you are cinders as crimson as your eyes."

The thin line his lips were in slowly shifted into a gradual smirk. "I get that a lot, Kirigaya" he mumbled – the ball of electricity she sent whirling at him merely passed through his body, crashing into a cluster of trees behind and reducing them to burnt logs. His lidded eyes stared at her and even though her mask constricted her face, he knew she was staring back. As he held out his hands into an offensive position, the rings he wore on all his fingers slowly elongated until they melded into each other, expanding to form a figure which could be called only an aggressive knuckle duster, modified to have two black sword handle protruding from the sides of both palms. But the real beauty to be marvelled at was when a long silver blade protruded out of the handles, curving inwards the slightest bit.

The wind around Kurumi picked up speed, swaying round her figure in circles, gathering velocity and momentum to turn into a small tornado. In addition, her body started exuding electrical sparks, adding an amber tinge to the tornado around her and outlining her pale figure with a dangerous silhouette.

Robin bent forward, tightening his knuckles and grinning viciously. Kurumi hovered a few inches over the ground, her eerie mask reflecting the glow of electricity.

He dashed towards her a few seconds after she'd thought.

And Mami appeared a few seconds earlier. (That just proved she needed some sleep).

"Disband." With a single command, a brief but powerful blue light emerged out of Mami's shawl-covered figure and immediately, the elemental auras around Kurumi dissipated and her bare feet were firm on the ground again. Robin shrieked out a barely suppressed cuss as his weapon flickered back to the harmless silver rings on his fingers and he was brought to a skidding stop.

"I expected you to show more restraint, Kurumi" she stated sagely, not looking like she'd exerted the least bit effort to single-handedly stop two of the strongest Essenciers of the school.

"God contained herself more than was plausible and necessary" she answered back almost immediately, her tone cold.

"And Robin" Mami turned her metallic gaze to the teenage boy, who seemed to have engraved a deep scowl on his face "Do you want to spend the remainder of your five months in detention?"

 _(Only five months left? . . . . . He didn't know whether to laugh or cry . . . . .)_

"You sure made it in time, granny" he scoffed, arms crossed "You couldn't have come earlier to wrap up the tea party, could you?"

Kurumi, who was still troubled by recent events, slightly widened her eyes underneath her mask. _Of course!_

"Was it humorous watching the confrontation between God and the forsaken imbecile self-regarded as Clown?" she did not turn to look at the aged woman but both knew the words were meant for her.

"Wait . . . ." Robin grumbled, coming to a realization before exclaiming with surprised anger "You mean, you'd been fucking watching us this whole time, you hag?" Her pleased silence was an answer enough. "Why didn't you fucking do anything, then?!"

 _(That woman . . . . . that fucking ancient witch . . . . .)_

"You and Kurumi would've been rather pleased to bring down such powerful Essence users were my thoughts" she calmly replied, unbothered by his violent body language "but alas, I think I should've mediated in battle."

"I can't-" _**he wanted to fucking break something, anything, anything would do. A vase, furniture, a tree, a concrete wall, bones of the bitch called Rivers**_ "-I'M OUTTA HERE." He flexed his rigid biceps before roughly pushing past the school Director, refusing to cry out in pain or even flinch when he felt thunder burn through the skin of his butt.

 _ **that cunt Kirigaya-**_

 _ **-what would she be like all defenceless and vulnerable, lying somewhere naked and broken, her pallid skin marked with red scratches of shame and corruption-**_

' _ **Stop.'**_

"At least now we know that the attack from this morning and the letter are not to be disregarded as practical jokes." Somewhere, at a distance, the wolves howled and a biting wind raced through the leaves of the pine trees. Once Robin had disappeared, Mami delved into conversation with the young Japanese. "The girl from the morning and this joker figure now . . . . ." both the matriarch and the student were deep in thought "There is a common driving force between them."

"They want _it_ " Kurumi stated very quietly, as if afraid that the night insects would hear her.

The expression on Mami's face grew even graver. "As we'd suspected. I really hoped they wouldn't be behind it though . . . ."

"It can only mean" Kurumi finally looked up at the hunched woman, the blacked out visors of her mask sliding back to reveal eyes the colour or blood red rubies "they have the other one."

Olga Dmietrievna, with eyes widening, whispered in a horrified voice "No way . . . ."

"And they want the complete pair" Kurumi continued speaking, snow-white eyebrows furrowed in thought "to open the gates."

What the young girl was saying seemed far-fetched and impossible but when she stated something with such certainty, the chances of it not being true were 0.01%. (And Olga desperately wished for that 0.01% right now).

"If the gates open" she rumbled, staring down at the cratered-filled ground "then-"

 _(But how and why?)_ was all Kurumi could think. _(How do they have the other half? And why would they want to open the gates?)_

 **(Review replies will be terminated until exams get over in late-March/mid-April. The decision is regretted but inevitable due to lack of time.)**


	10. Ep8 - tHiCkEr ThAn BlOoD

**Kurumi: *walks in and sees Lykke baking a cake* God demands to know who that glucose high confectionary is for. +^+ *licks lips***

 **Lykke: *looks up* Oh, DT asked me to bake a cake for her friend and fellow writer, Kiyumie. *taps chin* Isn't she your big sister?**

 **Kurumi: *nods and leans over to read the message on the cake* Happy Birthday, my dear, flat-chested loli Klary. Although it's been only two years since you joined my harem, the bond of love between us has only intensified and I wish that with one more year of age, life also bestows you with a bigger bust and some more inches of height. ~With Love, your Master DT *stares at Lykke blankly***

 **Lykke: *shrugs* Well, I only followed DT's instructions.**

 **All the AEI Cast: A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIYUMIE!**

 **DT: ;)**

 **~ Ep. 8 – tHiCkEr ThAn BlOoD ~**

" _No papa, please!"_

 _Outside the darkly tinted windows of the silver BMW, the clouds rolled by on a lazy afternoon, illuminated by a warm orange glow from the sun. Pine trees swayed all around them on a vast, undulating expanse, standing tall and fierce, seeming to mock everything which was tiny and insignificant before them. They looked scary, very scary – behind their dark, broad leaves, they scowled at him and he was sure of it._

 _Fourteen year old Jamie Whilhelmsson bawled uncontrollably in the passenger seat of the car, a hysterical, convulsing mess – the wings of his periwinkle locks were ruined and fraught with sweat, stuck to his forehead and pointing in stray directions. He was furiously trying to wipe away the tears and snot away from his face, his nose scrunched up and pink lips twisted and quivering but his violently jerking shoulders toughened the job. They shook and twisted and made his slender frame move with aggression, his head smashing back and forth against the headrest of his tall seat._

" _PLEASE, PAPA! PLEASE, PLEASE!" He tried to reach out to his dad but with the seatbelt strapped in almost sadistic security against his frame, he could barely move out of where he sat. The long sleeves of his cardigan were now damp and dark. "PLEASE, I DO NOT WANT TO GO, PAPA! I DO NOT WANT TO BE AWAY FROM RONNIE AND JOEL! PLEASE, PAPA! PLEASE! PLEASE!"_

 _Littered with hiccups and with his face sticky and red, his body jolted randomly, head tilting violently to one side. "I WANT TO GO HOME! PLEASE, PAPA! I PROMISE I WILL NOT HIT HER AGAIN! PLEASE! I WILL NOT HIT 'MOM' AGAIN!"_

 _Calling her 'mom' left an acidic taste in his mouth and a poisonous throb in his heart but he would do whatever it took to go back, to be with his brothers again even though they were far away in another country. Jamie's eyes had swollen terribly and reddened so much that their original lilac had considerably faded in glow. He pushed out his hands to reach out to his father but the man jerked the steering wheel violently and despite the tight belt straining across his flesh, his body lost balance and hit the side of the car, his head smashing hard against the window._

 _Felix Whilhelmsson kept driving, not even paying attention to his wounded son whose head was beginning to swell blue from the smash._

" _Please papa" Jamie begged hoarsely, having lost his voice from the screaming and crying "I want to go back to Joel and Ronnie." His eyes had swollen to an almost impossible degree and by the time the shiny BMW skidded to a stop in front of the large, archaic gates of Mami's School, there was no energy (life) left in him. "Please. I want to go back to Stockholm."_

 _Felix pushed out two large bags and a suitcase from the backseat, all containing Jamie's clothes and essentials, roughly to the ground. As they tumbled to the soft grassy floors of Berlin's outskirts, the blond male shoved open the door to the passenger seat, his metallic eyes cold as they watched the snivelling, twitching form of a small teen, with scared eyes and a piteously sorrowful expression._

" _I am sorry, papa."_

 _Aggressively pulled out as the seatbelt snapped back harshly against his thin body, Jamie struggled to keep the balance on his shaky feet once they touched the concrete of the firm road. He was still crying, unable to hold back his tears once it dawned on him that he wouldn't be seeing his brothers in a while. He wouldn't be seeing their large, warm yellow house (which had been his source of joy and happiness until recently) either. He wouldn't be seeing the huge backyard where mommy practiced her fire drills either._

 _Mommy._

 _MOMMY._

 _As the BMW made a sharp U-turn and skid back to Berlin at high speed, Jamie collapsed on the grass next to his belongings and wailed even louder, haunted by the kind smiles of his mommy. His sweet, friendly, brave Mommy whose death had torn the Whilhelmsson family apart. His sweet, friendly, brave Mommy whose death had made the evil stepmother Amelia step into the fray and poison daddy's heart._

 _No, he wasn't daddy anymore. Jamie didn't consider him daddy anymore._

 _He was only Felix now. Felix Whilhelmsson – a man who insulted the memories of his wife and abandoned his sons for a cruel, hypocritical woman._

" _Please come back, mommy." His sobs went unheard, none paying attention to the pathetic figure of the juddering boy, his body exhausted from the tics but his mind in an even more deplorable condition. "Please, mommy . . . . no one loves me, Joel and Ronnie anymore."_

 _So fourteen-year old Jamie Whilhelmsson, abandoned by his father, left behind by his mommy and separated from his brothers, fell unconscious on the grass outside the large gates, a duo of Harpies watching his lax corpse (-like body). He lay there for a few minutes before an aged, hunched woman tottered over to the sleeping figure, her dark eyes glowing mysteriously._

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

" _ **. . . . . she'll be sending me off to the NDA from next week. Hah. So I guess you're not alone, eh, Jame? But it's okay, though. After we graduate and get jobs, we'll get an apartment of our own, whisk Ronnie away and then we'll show everyone just how sweet that Gorgon is – fucking bitch. I still remember you attacking her, Jame – contrary to what papa says, both I and Ronnie loved every moment of you choking her. I'm sorry I dragged you away that time, Jame, and sometimes I regret not letting her die but you're too sweet for jail. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you and Ronnie that time but I PROMISE ON MOMMY'S SOUL that the Gorgon will suffer. I'LL make her suffer so much she'll wish she'd been killed by you.**_

 _ **I guess this is goodbye now, huh, Jame?"**_

 _He hugged the wrinkled letter to his chest, a photograph of a smiling family – a memento from a happy past – lying beside him, its edges burned._

" _Goodbye, Joel . . . . . ."_

 _Thick teardrops stained the carpeted floor._

" _Good- . . . . bye . . . ."_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . ._

" _He doesn't speak much, Mami." Hunched over the table with her humped back, the aged German lady slowly poured in the warm Darjeeling tea in two cups, the gentle aroma sifting through the air in calming waves. She stirred in two large tablespoons of sugar in one of the white porcelain cups but let the other remain without the condiment, placing both dainty cups on a tray which was already lined with two gratifying slices of cheesecake._

 _The afternoon summer air was warm and filtered into the room through two large, open windows, the pale curtains flickering readily against the hazel table. She set down the tray on the table and Tommy stopped playing with the hearing aid in his left ear, his large, mahogany eyes glowing happily as he hungrily eyed the cheesecake. Mami sat down in her large chair, picking up her tea cup, enjoying the light breeze and the childlike amusement of the sixteen year old as he devoured his cake, savouring it with an overjoyed face. The lavender streaks in his muddled sandy locks were bright and new – dyed freshly yesterday._

" _What do you think of him, Tom?"_

 _A lazy Sunday afternoon and the school was rather devoid of creative activity. Most were relaxing in the nearby woods or enjoying the breeze at the Gardens or languidly passing time in their rooms. Tommy let the fork hang out of his mouth, blinking at Mami, his voice soft. "I think he's weird. He suddenly rolls his head or flaps his hands or spins his shoulders at time. He doesn't talk to anyone and sits leaning against his bed, staring at a letter and a photograph. He's very, very strange."_

 _Strange . . . . . ._

 _Mami leaned back against her chair and lifted her gaze to the ceiling, tracing the antique wooden engravings fitted on them with her dark eyes. Strange . . . . . what an ambiguous word. A word without true meaning. A word filled with vapid intonations._

" _But . . . ."_

 _A small thud resounded through the room as Tommy placed his empty plate down, now looking longingly at Mami's cake. Silently and slowly, she pushed her own slice towards him and he happily accepted, shooting her a thankful, timid smile._

" _. . . . he's not a bad boy."_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

 _Lost._

 _He was lost._

 _A short scream erupted and died from Jamie's throat as his converse was caught in the gnarled roots of a large tree and he face-planted into the loose soil, his chest shooting up with a sharp ache due to the impact. Lifting his body up on his palms, he felt tears spring to his eyes and raised his palm to face-level, staring as crimson blood slowly poured out of the skinned flesh._

" _Oh no, oh FUCKING GODDAMN THIS FUCKING SON OF A BITCH MOTHERFUCKING CUNT LICKER ASSHOLE BITCH!" He screamed as loud as he could, pouring out all his anger, all the stress, all the exhaustion into the air, crying angry tears, trying to hold back the pain in his chest, ankle and hand, trying to ignore the bruises._

 _He took in a deep breath before releasing another enraged scream in the dark, looming forests, tics as violent as ever with jerking shoulders, rolling neck and stomping feet. Damn it, DAMN IT ALL! DAMN IT! FUCK IT! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUC-!_

" _Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam~"_

 _A voice._

 _An Angel's voice._

 _Jamie felt his feet root to the ground and even his tics paused themselves, lilac eyes widening._

" _Et lingua eius loquetur_

 _Beatus vir qui suffert-~"_

 _He didn't know when his feet started running on their own, the pain and aches and bruises all forgotten. As the pines and firs loomed on both sides, stark and dark against the approaching night, even their haunting shadows couldn't strike him with fear now, his mind determined to look for the voice._

 _(which called out to him, to hi soul)_

" _Kyrie, fons bonitatis_

 _Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison~"_

 _The path was widening now, the trees receding back further and further, opening a broader pathway for the youngster to run through, the blood on his palms slowly drying and leaving behind a trail of thin droplets through the alternating patches of soil and grass. The ache had died – or maybe he'd just forgotten about it like his body._

 _But that voice . . . . ._

" _-quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditor_

 _O quam sancta-~"_

 _The tall minarets of Mami's school finally came into view, the sky now finally a dark blue with several silver dots, the Victorian building looming high. He could see the Hilltop Gardens a distance away, a place he'd visited before with Tom and Dead but did not like much because of its graves. And also, he could see-_

" _Kyrie, fons bonitatis_

 _Kyrie, ignis divine-~"_

 _Beautiful._

 _She was so beautiful._

 _Under the glinting moonlight, she basked in its halo, her long, blunt hair glowing lavender, tight black clothes stark against milky skin. She was lost in her melody, both hands clasped together against her chest, peach lips forming graceful O's as her Heavenly voice serenaded. The moonshine seemed to evolve around her, throwing a natural spotlight on her dark-clad figure._

 _For fourteen-year old Jamie Whilhelmsson thrown cruelly into a strange world of the unknown and the fearful, she was a figure of comfort, a person to reach out to, a guardian to guide him. He found himself unable to avert his mesmerized eyes, his tics forgotten, the blood on his palm drying, the ache in his chest now a distant memory. All that he felt was comfort from the unfamiliar melody, the words from an alien language yet heart-warming and a strange feeling began to take wings in him – a foreign feeling._

 _A comfortable feeling._

 _(a feeling he'd almost forgotten.)_

" _O castitatis lilium.~"_

 _And ending on a soprano, the beautiful girl slowly opened her eyes, staring at the sky with unnatural vapidity, her eyes an austere contrast of empty numbness against the soulful song. He silently stood at a reasonable distance, unable to make any kind of response now that the melody had stopped, his mind torn between wanting to talk to this unfamiliar, striking girl and wishing for an unnoticeable escape, afraid he was an unwelcome spectator._

 _But before Jamie could make up his mind, she turned her head to look at him, the aberrantly cold and emotionless eyes belting him with fearful nervousness, her pretty face pulled into a grim mask that gave away no feelings. They could only stare at each other for a better part of a minute, two shades of violet caught in a sudden moment of involuntary silence._

 _When his mind returned from the blank void it'd been flung into, Jamie was simultaneously hit by nervousness, fear and shame and his tics could not have found a better time to return. His head started rolling around and his left shoulder jerked up dangerously, further adding to his burning embarrassment. Jamie turned his body to swiftly run away to the dormitories but when he'd taken only a few steps:_

" _Good evening."_

 _She waved at him._

 _. . . . . . . . . . . ._

 _The grass was cool and damp against the exposed skin of his palms and shins, from where his jeggings ended. He was tempted to lie down on the soft spreadsheet of nature but could not bring himself to relax immediately in front of the strange, silent girl who sat beside him at a measurable distance, her knees folded to her chest as she sat looking at the bright stars, pretty face completely_

 _ollow. It was a little unnerving for Jamie and when his tics had returned, he'd internally panicked at her studying gaze, fearing it to turn judgemental and disgusted at any second but instead, she'd quietly invited him to sit next to her and stargaze._

 _Stargazing. When had he last done it? He couldn't really rememb-_

" _ **That's Cassiopeia, Jamie."**_

" _ **Wowwww! It's so pretty!"**_

" _ **Isn't it? . . . . But it tells a very sad story."**_

" _ **What story, mommy?"**_

 _Comfort wasn't a foreign concept to Rayne but it was a very unfamiliar one. While she strived to understand and showcase the most basic of emotions, trying hard to grasp everything which occurred to others most naturally, there were times when she could feel strange 'gears' turn in her heart – some were pleasant while others were a little discomforting. The discomforting one stirred faintly in her when she saw the young, blue-haired child quiver and shake metres away from her, a shivering hand clamped across his mouth to stop tears. Pain, the boy was filled with so much pain, with underlying frustration and sadness clamping him up, choking his heart, slowly eating away at his soul._

 _Someday, he would turn into a hollow shell too . . . . ._

" _You should cry if you want to." She saw him stir, his face colouring as he tried to shadow himself, subconsciously pulling down his beanie to cover his eyes. She noticed his shoulders roll, his head tilt rhythmically to one side and his legs tap on the ground – his movements were awkward and stiff, his body forcing him to do things his mind didn't agree to. But this child was strange, really. Rayne had never seen anyone move like that – she wondered if it was some form of dance she was unaware of?_

" _I-I'm okay, FUCKING OKAY." He said that shakily but despite his words, he seemed to choke up even more and a few tears actually spilled, running over his already stained cheeks and rolling onto the grass – it was a wonder Jamie didn't run away from her, afraid of her judgement. But maybe his legs were too weak to run anymore, to just avoid all that he feared – subconsciously, maybe his heart whispered 'Face it. You have to face it.'_

 _Rayne did not flinch at the overriding shrill his voice had accidentally plunged into – she remembered Mami telling her that the word 'Fuck' or any of its connotations were vile insults to the beautiful language of English and that she should stray from their use as much as possible. But the old matriarch hadn't described its meaning to her at all._

" _I-I'm sorr-sorr . . . sorry." He whispered in such a soft voice that it took the sixteen-year old girl to register what he meant in his strangled voice._

" _What for?" she asked, thin eyebrows raised in genuine confusion – Jamie looked up through blurry orbs, slightly baffled at her indifference. A graceful-looking girl like her, he'd been sure she'd be at least a little offended. But looks like emotions weren't very quick to come to he-_

 _ **Wait.**_

 _Could it be . . . . . . she was in this school for her lack of emotions?_

 _In his mind, it was more of an assertion than a question._

" _W-Why're you here, LITTLE BITC-?" He bit his tongue before he could go on his abuse list, flinching both at the words and the pain that scarred the flesh of his tongue. IT MOTHERFUCKING HURT._

 _Rayne tilted her head, long, lavender locks lapping against the right side of her face – he couldn't suppress the blush that bloomed on his face, heart pounding wildly at how cute she looked, like a Dutch Doll. She continued staring at him for more than two minutes and panicking with nervousness, he babbled "Y-You don't have t-!"_

" _Mami said" he immediately clamped his mouth shut with firm palms when she suddenly spoke up "I need to understand se-sen-sen-"_

" _Sentiments?" he gingerly offered, his left eye squinting continually. Nervousness paraded him again when she gazed at him with her large lilac eyes before her slow nodding turned a little more rapid._

" _Yes. Sentiments." She spoke slowly, testing the word on her tongue and returned her longing gaze to the sky. Silence reigned between them and when Jamie was finally beginning to relax a little again, and try to enjoy the company of the distant night sky and the beautiful girl beside him, she piped up out of the blue for the second time. "Why are YOU here?"_

 _The blatant emphasis on the 'you' did not escape him._

" _I-"_

" _ **MONSTER JERRY! MONSTER JERRY!"**_

 _ **He wanted them to stop laughing.**_

" _ **There goes the freak! Ewwww!"**_

' _ **please stop laughing.'**_

" _ **Jamie the Poop Boy! GET IN HERE!"**_

 _ **The sketch pens hurt against his skin. They're pressing too hard.**_

" _FUCK!" He lets out a scream to escape from the demons of his past, thin trails of sweat marking his skin despite the chillness of the night. His movements become so erratic that he couldn't keep a track of them anymore – yet he can feel the constant throbs from all the twists and rolls. He'll do it till he dies of exhaustion, he thinks, till he's nothing but an empty husk moving without a heart._

" _What dance is this that you do?"_

 _The seven words completely halt everything – his movements, his rapid breathing, the shrieking mental trauma, even his heart for the moment. As their meaning sinks in, he stares at her face with an equally blank gaze, mesmerized by her porcelain beauty that glows under the silken light of the moon. And then, his lips twitch before he breaks out in full-fledged laughter, falling against the soft, emerald blades of natural velvet, shaking rapidly from mirth – and despite not realizing it, he is laughing, laughing with his chest roaring and a painfully wide grin on his face. He laughs till his sides hurt, till he has to hold them tight with his arms and his eyes are squinted close, even as Rayne looks on with subtle confusion marring her pretty, placid features._

" _I don't understand . . . ." her voice mumbles slowly, inaudible to him and yet, somehow, she does. She doesn't know why but the laughter of this kid, this young boy called Jamie, makes her feel something she rarely feels, a small warmth in her chest that she finds only when she's singing and her interactions with Mami._

 _And though Rayne doesn't understand as much as other people her age and struggles to accept things that occur naturally to others, she likes it. She likes when Jamie Whilhelmsson laughs._

Jamie leaned in to the warm embrace that surrounded his left side, smiling as he felt soft flesh press into his own arm and long, lean arms wrap around his figure. Through sleepy slits, he could discern soft, lilac locks of hair spread over his pillow and wrapped around his neck and he snuggled closer to the person, burying his face into the scent of warm honey.

"Rayne" he mumbled, so happy to finally have her in his arms. He'd defeated three of the most attractive guys in school to be with her-!

'Her hair looks more violet than blue though.' However, he pushed the thought away and pulled her closer. 'Also, is it just me or does she feel heavier and . . . . taller?' Jamie, slightly disturbed, opened his eyes . . . . .

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! YOU MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"

Several doors opened in the boys' dormitory and heads popped out to stare at Room No. 35 from where the screams were being emitted. Then, the tired heads withdrew themselves back into their rooms, realizing it must've been Prince Evan again.

Haejin was startled out of his sleep and thrown on the ground with such a rough shove that he was disoriented for a few seconds. Rapidly blinking awake to consciousness, the faint mumbles were slowly escalating into screeching insults and it was then that he realized he was staring at an incredibly hysterical cerulean-haired boy who was gyrating like an out-of-control torpedo boat.

"FUCKING SHIT YOU LITTLE PRICK ASSHOLE DOUCHEBAG GET THE FUCK OUT YOU LITTLE FATHER COCK-BLOCKING-" Now he realized why Q disliked the baby-faced Swede so obsessively that he'd escape ANY room the younger boy walked into. Haejin got up and offered a shamed, guilty smile but was answered with a huge pillow to the face and bowing apologetically, the male high-tailed out of the room, his long hair a beautiful mess around his shoulders.

Breathing deep, Jamie finally managed to calm down somewhat (except his shaking feet) and sighed in disappointment – another dream. Another dream that showed him something he could never attain. A little surprised at finding the bed on the other side of the room empty, he remembered that Tommy had an early morning session with Mr. Frost today. So convincing himself for the umpteenth time that someone as beautiful and talented as Rayne would never like a messed up, unstable freak like him in seven lives, he yawned and placed his feet on the cold ground, willing himself to embark on another tiresome day.

"But I still . . . . . ." he muttered with lost eyes-

' _Can't stop hoping.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you, Garri." Nyx smiled at the much taller, light-haired male fondly – Asriel, working on signing some documents in a dark corner of the student council office, looked highly displeased but remained silently glowering. Garrick returned her smile with an equally pleasant one as he picked up the posters, paint brushes, colour palette and oil paint tubes from the table the President leaned against, finding their combined weight to be rather heavy but since the art room was on the same floor and not at a very great distance, he could make it in one trip.

Besides, Asriel's glares were not lost on him and were unnerving him by the second.

"I will contact the others and send them to aid you as soon as I can" she nodded, her soft ringlets moving fluidly with her motions, resting against her defined curves.

"It'd be foh de bette' if Raven an' Tommy lad dun steeck 'n de same room doh" he chuckled rather nervously, the cold, bitter rivalry between the two seventeen year olds clearly a topic of perpetual conversation between the rest of the school's students. The perfect, cleanliness-obsessed beauty and the quiet, disorder-loving lad had never been able to see eye-to-eye despite being members of the same club and this had affected the other students many a time as well.

Garrick still had not forgotten the incident with his Armani blazer. He sometimes cried over it at night.

"Those two need to learn to work together and respect each other's opinions soon" Nyx's smile held pain and exasperation as she massaged her temples at the thought of those two – although both were usually quiet, polite children, breathing the same air as each other seemed to pour some sort of toxic in their blood which would often spread its malevolent poison to others. They were not as rowdy as certain other students (Nyx frequently got migraines when those students were brought into the scenario) but they certainly weren't composed enough to just ignore each other and work together for the sake of getting better. "I do understand that their OCDs are drastically and clashingly different but they do not even try to listen to what the other is trying to say."

"I git ya, I git ya." Asriel's colourful hair threatened to writhe in the background so Garrick decided to take a hasty departure. "A'ight, I'mma be goin' den. Loz of wok' an' all wid wat spo's day ten dayz 'way an' all." He arranged his arms more comfortably so as to not let everything tumble out.

"Thank you again, Alister" Nyx winked at him causing him to colour up significantly – despite her short stature, she was an incredibly, almost inhumanely beautiful lady. (Though not a dime on Raven, his brain supplied with a proud sub-conscience.) "I will send some help your way though, not to worry." And with that, her heels clicked as she turned into the room, the British boy almost shocked at the complete change on Kritanta's face as he smiled at his girlfriend, his voice a pleasant sing-song as he talked to her. Eris, the always silently fuming younger sister, walked over to the older woman, looking chipper than most days.

Garrick finally walked out of the room, his smile gone and his mind unable to take any more of the scene.

How lucky she was, the beautiful student council president, to be surrounded by those who loved her. Every time she'd bond with her little sister, sharing intimate, familial moments, his heart would race back in time towards a small boy, with a smile that could outshine the sun . . . . .

 _Graydon._

The monochrome flannel shirt wrapped around his hips was the only memoir he had of his deaf little brother which was why he never took it off (despite Robin and Yu teasing him about it on several occasions). It was the only thing that kept him connected to his "remaining" family, the only kin he cared about and without it, he felt paranoid and afraid, like the little boy would be snatched away from him.

 _But that's what they must be doing right now,_ his mind couldn't hold back from distasteful thoughts, surfing on negativity. _Trying to break him apart, clawing at his spirit . . . . like they did with me._

Whenever Yu spoke fondly about her family, he would only tightly smile and nod along with her words while his throat dried up on the inside – _how lucky,_ he'd think, _to have parents and grandparents and cousins and aunts and a dog who loved her so much._

At least Robin's dad cared enough to call him once a week, even though the conversations were rather short and had the brunet being as rude as always. At least he frequently talked to Alexis. Haejin's dad had made five or so visits all the way from Seoul for his son in the short while Garrick had known him and Lena's grandfather had visited twice too from Paxos and she got many calls from her childhood friend whose name he always forgot. And Rayne-

" _I don't have . . . . . . a family. I've never had one."_

Graydon – small, cute, friendly, talented Graydon. His beloved little brother who looked like an Angel with his soft, fluffy black hair and kind grey eyes and talented fingers on the guitar despite the crippling handicap . . . . .

 _Yes,_ he continued walking, _I have Graydon._ And a smile bloomed on his face.

Garrick took a turn to the left and was surprised when he stood right in front of the art room, marvelling internally at how engrossed he'd been in his thoughts to reach with unconscious speed. When he saw the door ajar, he was rather surprised at how quickly the President had sent help. He pushed it open, thinking it was one of his club members _(maybe even Raven,_ his mind seemed to gleefully supply) and smiled "Heya. So'reh I'm la-"

But stopped short when he saw a painfully familiar head filled with spiky, badly dyed orange hair turn back swiftly, a lavender eye widening when it ascertained his identity.

Aria stood with her back turned to him and her fists clenched tightly and from her stiff posture and the haunted look in her eyes-

He knew.

"'Nother one, isn't it." More of an assertion than a question it was, his tone largely distant and smile small as he placed the materials on the nearest desk, separating them in an orderly fashion as he sifted through the different paint tubes and brushes. Without a word and with her fists still tightly clenched, Aria moved towards the door with slow yet heavy steps, her vermillion hoodie zipped open, letting her striped shirt peek out from underneath.

" _The both of you should be the monochrome siblings – I rarely see you both without those shirts."_

" _Das bettuh den bein' an' an'mal killuh, Furry."_

" _A' agree, Rob. Nah' dun say das faux fur."_

" _Nah. This is your mom's chest hair-Ouch! You bitch!"_

" _Shush, la'."_

"Ah ye gonna ig'nore meh fo'eveh, 'Ria?" he mumbled in a lower voice, palms pressed against the cool wooden desk. She stopped in her place, a few steps away from the door.

"Haha, wasn' dat de game we'd bin playin'~?" Her chuckle held no mirth or happiness. "Firs' ye 'nored meh so isn' it mah turn~?" Her sentence took a spiteful turn, pale lips spitting out biting words – her face half-turned, the evocative lavender eye turned intently upon the British teenager.

Garrick sighed wearily, slowly turning to intently match her frightening gaze, the expression on his face leaving behind no wobbly emotions. "You an' I both know, Rob'n needed meh moh den ye did, Aria."

He didn't want to think about it anymore – talking to her was hurting him, familiar throbbing returning in slow, aching waves. But not talking to her had hurt him even more and amidst the foggy curtain of harmful stings, relief was slow yet concise.

"Need'd ye~?" she was filled with disbelief as she turned to face him, dark shadows dancing tauntingly in the corner of her usable eye. "NEED'D ye?" Garrick's lips pursed together, his cerulean brows furrowing – of course, it was futile to try and convince her. "If ye were 'ways so tense 'bout him den . . . . den . . ." her shoulders were quivering now, bangs a drooping mess over her eyes. "Why'd ye . . . . . . dat day-?"

" _ROB', NO!"_

" _ **GET OUTTA MY WAY**_ _!"_

" _YE FUCKFA-!"_

 _Skin was sliced into as droplets of blood, thick and stinky, spurted into the air._

" _no-"_

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _A scream of rage and pain._

" _no-"_

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _Tears . . . . or blood? (Or both?)_

" _no . . . . ."_

" _ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _Too much blood._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Quiet. Aria was too quiet.

He took a tentative step forward, hand stretched out hesitantly. "Ari-"

"SHUT UP!" She grabbed the chair in front of her brazenly, throwing it behind her, face wild and feral and contorted in anger. Garrick froze, very, very bad memories crashing through the surface, his eyes no more calm or observant.

' _It hurts.'_

" _Your fault."_

 _Giggles. Someone was giggling._

" _You are a monster."_

' _she isn't.'_

" _You hurt him."_

' _he didn't.'_

 _Laughing kids._

The chair crashed hard against the wall, breaking into varying pieces and flying all over the room and outside. Garrick's conscience returned and he removed his hand from his back where it'd unconsciously crawled, staring at his shaking fingers.

' _Blood. BLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOOD.'_

' _SO MUCH STICKY, CRIMSON BLOOD.'_

" _ **NO!"**_

Aria crumpled to the ground, smashing her fist against the marble, teeth clenching tight as sharp, brutal pain spread through her cracked and skinned knuckles, crimson dripping down them in rivulets. From outside, rushing footsteps were heard fast approaching and Garrick bent down in front of her, hands hovering over her shoulders.

Lips parted. "I'm sorr-"

"Save it" she hissed quietly, the visible lilac eye filled with sorrow and suppressed pain, even as her other hand rushed to massage her wounded wrist. He wasn't finished yet – it wasn't supposed to end this way! – but . . .

"Oh my God!" Two pairs of feet stopped and Garrick turned to the doorway, quite familiar with the voice. Lena's left hand had flown to her mouth as she surveyed the scene in front of her with aghast peach eyes roving over the broken fragments of a once sturdy chair, Aria's bleeding knuckles and her eyes holding the look of a cornered tiger while the Ashworth heir kneeled on the ground in front of the infamous Liverpudlian. Rayne surveyed things blankly, tilting her head as she evened out the orange-head's gaze with a placid stare that gave away no semblance of feelings – just empty questions and gazes of curiosity.

"A fight! A fight!"

' _No, not HIM.'_

Garrick and Aria would never know that both of them had the same thought run simultaneously through their mind during the same moment. A white head popped in and Mihai's smile widened when he saw the two figures, exclaiming happily as he bounced in "Is it a fight?!" The huge grin on his face was not dampened by the exasperated looks on their faces. "It seems to be, it seems to be!" He skipped over to Aria and jumping, cried "Did you fight him Ariri, did you fight him?!"

For all his excited squealing, he was answered with a cold, sullen glare.

"Miki" Lena called out from behind, very hesitant and quiet "I think you should-"

He snapped his head towards her, tilting it to the side and the tall girl felt fear crawl against her skin at those eerie amber irises. "Ne, we didn't ask for your opinion, did we?" She opened her mouth but thought against it when he twirled around fully to face her, his cerulean frock coat creating an elegant penumbra to watch. "We didn't, we didn't!" He stuck a tongue out at the overwhelmed Lena and giggled "Please shut up before we tear your lips off, tear your lips off!"

For the briefest of moments, Lena's form flickered, changing into something otherworldly – but it happened so fast and so subtly that it missed most eyes.

Except two lilac irises.

"Dun'go o'board, Nic'lae." Garrick was rather displeased with the youngster's insensitivity – granted, at fourteen, he was one of the youngest students in the school but that didn't mean he could disrespect people, especially a lady, so blatantly. "Ye shud lurn ta' riispect people 'fore ye cricize dem." He added, his glasses shining sternly.

Mihai had a rather ugly expression flit to his face but Aria was faster than him. "Nut'al d'esire yer moral lekchurs', _Garrick."_ She stared at him sourly, her lavender eye embittered with putrid hatred.

His eyes widened at the mention of the emphasized name, lower lip trembling. _'No . . . . why would she . . . .'_

' _I'm not Garrick.'_

' _Not Garrick.'_

' _ **I'M NOT GARRICK!'**_

"Garri's in pain." Lena, slowly understanding the increasing tension between the two seniors, turned to stare at her smaller room-mate, who watched everything unfurl with unusual perception. "A lot of pain."

"What do you mean, Rayne?" the fifteen-year old asked, feeling the atmosphere drop in the room as both British seniors seemed to be locked in an intimately abhorrent gaze, communicating messages of revulsion without words. Mihai seemed to be measuring both their faces carefully, hands entwined behind his back as he swung back and forth, humming a sweet tune. His earlier annoyance seemed to have dissipated as quickly as it'd happened and currently, he looked disturbingly amused.

"Love isn't the only thing which is intimate." Lena stared, unsure and confused by her words when their attention was immediately drawn by Garrick grabbing a thick paint brush from the desk and hurling it at Aria, who was caught off-guard and got a blow right on her chest, briefly crying out from the sudden, powerful impact. Mihai clapped his hands gleefully before skipping rapidly towards the British male, his large ambers wild with excitement. However, before he could join in, the recovered Aria grabbed his thin arm and roughly pulled him back, flinging herself ahead.

"Sta'out, Nicu" she hissed firmly, moving fast towards Garrick, fingers clasping two large paintbrushes – his glasses glinting off sunlight and rendering his eyes invisible, the seventeen-year old moved fluidly but with suppressed rage, grabbing a large colour palette from a nearby desk. He raised it in front of himself just in time to block Aria's aggressive swipe with the brushes but due to her raw strength, the structure broke and clattered uselessly to the ground. Activating her Essence, she tapped into his mind but his thoughts made her eye widen in wariness.

' _Only to be expected from someone as perceptive as him'_ she reasoned with herself before moving a distance away, ignoring the three onlookers and zeroing in on her current opponent – it would make for a good practice session. _'Despite being under the influence of his OCD, he can still, up to some point, analyze me and form strategies.'_ While Ayumu's mind had been a clutter of anger and hate, Garrick's was swimming with negative emotions but even amidst the chaos, logic and reasoning managed to hold their own.

She couldn't bite back a smirk. That only meant it would be easier for her to read him.

"Garri, Aria, stop!" Lena cried out, too nervous to step in but barely managing to restrain herself – the thought of accidentally activating her Essence in the middle of the fight was ghastly. Turning to her shorter companion with a pleading face, she cried "Rayne, please stop them!" However, the silent girl seemed to be too caught up watching the fight to pay attention to her.

But that did not stop Mihai from jumping in.

"NICU, NO!" Aria surged forward as fast as she could but the young boy looked gleeful as he flicked his right wrist and instantly, the silver cuff that adorned his limb transformed into a sleek, silver glaive which he caught with ease, twirling it in excitement.

"It's not fair leaving us out, is it?" He smiled, jumping into the air. "It isn't, it isn't." Garrick was barely able to move back in time for the tip to just graze his chest, tearing through his Luis Vuitton shirt and leaving a thin scar on his collarbone, which began bleeding.

"GARRI!" Lena cried, stepping forward – Rayne, sensing things going downhill, silently left the room, unnoticed. Giggling hysterically, Mihai moved again but the bespectacled male grabbed his chain necklace and as the glaive came in for another, more fatal swipe, it'd been successfully blocked by a swiftly transformed magnificent trident, its single blade caught between two sharp, long teeth of Garrick's weapon.

"DUN LET'IM TUCH YE!" Aria screamed, running as fast as she could but . . . . . .

Too late.

"Huh?" Mihai was definitely confused when instead of attacking, Garrick pressed a warm, large palm against his cheek. But in the time it took him to recover from the momentary act of affection, he was already flying in the air from a shattering punch that rocked his jaw. "AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" The high-pitched cry of pain shattered everywhere and as the young boy felt his jaw go numb and his vision fade away from the art room, Aria grabbed him in her lanky arms, shaking him desperately.

"Nicu! NICU!"

He wasn't in Mami's school anymore . . . . .

 _He . . . . . . ._

 **They were at it again. Young Mihai sat on the carpeted living room floor, drawing on his notebook disinterestedly. From the kitchen, he could hear his parents' intense screams as they yelled at each other.**

" **You're such a stupid bitch you couldn't even mother a decent child the second time!"**

" **Oh yeah? We all know that it was YOUR fault he was born – Aurelia turned out just fine and she is MY daughter! MINE!"**

" **HE'S your son too cause no way am I the father of . . . of . . . that!"**

 **Fingers pointed at him. Like they had been since the past ten years. All of his life.**

" **Just look at what he's drawing! No wonder Mrs. Castellano won't let her kids even near him!"**

" **It's all because of you and those action movies you watch! Blood, guts, everywhere . . . .!"**

 **Eventually, their voices faded off and Mihai's attention was pulled back to his drawing – with careful concentration, he coloured the eyes of the two-headed monster a vibrant red, giggling at his new masterpiece. It was that of a gigantic, grotesque, dual-headed humanoid figure chomping off the head of a dead lady.**

 **It'd taken him a lot of erasing but now, it was finally complete.**

" **What are you doing?" Unnerved at the suddenly speaking unrecognisable voice, he dropped his red sketch pen and looked up.**

 **The child's face morphed into horror as he broke out in a shuddering scream.**

" **You should never have been born." His parents walked towards him, fusing into each other and their bodies grew in size, gaining rigid, humped muscle, fair skins overgrowing thick, brown fur. The two headed creature snarled as it moved forward towards the scrambling Mihai, who peed himself with fear by a single look at its terrifying crimson eyes.**

" **Mama . . . . . ." No, that wasn't his mother – she would never grab his arm so roughly and tear it off in a single motion, leaving him to scream and squirm with pain on the floor as the white carpet began quickly drenching red from the thick layer of blood that pooled out of the right stump where his arm had been.**

" **Papa . . . . . ." His soft breath was soon replaced by a shrill screech as the one he knew as his father grabbed his left leg and crushed the bones mercilessly, causing ivory, jagged ends of skeleton to puncture out from the inside of his skin like polished splinters. He screamed and screamed and screamed with pain for a long time but felt a warm hand clamp down on his lips before passing comfortingly over his forehead.**

 **With tears blocking his vision, he could barely discern the smiling face of his sister looming over him, her black waves falling over his face. "Aurelia . . . . .!" he whispered with relief, so happy to see that she'd come to save him.**

" **We should've done this much before, Miki." Her smile grew wider.**

 **The monster had disappeared.**

" **Wh-"**

 **Something metallic shone above him.**

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" She stabbed a long, blunt nail in his left eye, the pain overwhelming him to the point of paralysis but when she dug in and ripped his eyeball into two parts, it returned with excruciating vengeance and he wished for instant death, wished for his heart to stop beating, willed it to stop beating at the very moment.**

With Mihai writhing painfully in her arms, his features contorted hideously, Aria barely had time to block the approaching Garrick – however, a tall figure crashed into the male from the doorway, sending both of them tumbling to the floor.

"SNAP OUT OF IT, GARRI!" Lena jumped on top of him, unable to hold back anymore – the one-eyed British girl felt Mihai collapse peacefully in her arms, before trying to stir himself back to consciousness. Lena grabbed his collar with her good hand and shook him hard, screaming at the top of her lungs. "WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU, GARRI?! You'd never do this – you're not this kind of a person!"

His mouth formed a small 'O' as he stared at the girl sitting on his lap, her bright eyes teary. Her fingers loosened from his collar, tracing over the scar Mihai's glaive had created on his collarbone – the way her fingertips trailed over his skin led him to shiver with Goosebumps. "Calm down."

Aria watched them with a critical gaze but was, nevertheless, startled when she saw Rayne bend in front of her and push a small bottle in her direction. "Water" was all she mumbled. The girl nodded slowly (silently debating if there was anything funny mixed in before pushing away the thought) but before drinking it herself, she placed the bottle mouth near Mihai's lips, softly nudging him.

He was half-awake now – awake and shaking all over.

"Drink'p" she mumbled and he immediately listened for once, wrapping his arms around himself as she chugged the water slowly down his throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable under Rayne's numbing gaze. "Dere a prob'em?" she questioned the girl, wondering what kind of stance should be taken against her. She was a part of . . . . _Robin's_ clique but quite unlike the others.

"You care a lot about him." She quietly stated, arms hanging straight by her sides. Aria clicked her tongue.

"He's jus' a kid, barely foh'teen-"

"I meant Garri." The observation shook the orange-haired girl and she sharply stared at the shorter girl, who failed to be unnerved by the brutal look in the lilac eye.

"Ye're off yer chumps."

Clambering off him, Lena stood up on her feet and blushing, dusted her skirt – she'd just realized the kind of position she'd taken (ON HIS LAP, NONETHELESS!) and despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn't stop some immoral thoughts from crossing her mind. Slowly blinking out of his trance-induced state, Garrick only felt the full horror of his actions hit him when he saw Mihai weakly stand up with Aria's help, his fallen cuff still lying on the floor. Speech left him and all inner monologues of apology were unable to leave his lips as his grey eyes darted from his ex-friend to Mihai and back to her.

His lips parted . . . . . . before closing again.

"Won't fuhget dis, Ass'worth" he wondered if she emphasised on the 'ass' to peeve him. "I'd thought you'd be bettuh dan Sa'yer." A smile full of pain graced her face. "Guess I'd been wrong." No more cheerful and upbeat, Mihai gave him a strange look before skipping out of the room, having picked up and worn his cuff. She shortly followed.

Tommy, who was quietly shuffling through the corridors after receiving some solid reprimanding from Nyx, shrunk into himself after feeling the evil vibes Aria radiated as she crossed by him. The creepy child who always trailed after her stared at him with his frightening amber orbs and he had to push himself against a wall to stabilize his breathing (and to gain some balance on his shaking feet).

"S-Scary people" he mumbled to himself, knowing it wasn't the beginning of a very nice day. However, he was proved wrong once he saw shattered wooden fragments near the door to the art room – only to find that the room itself was in a rather dishevelled shape.

"Lovely, lovely disorder!" His mood immediately improved as he twirled in like a ballerina, a huge smile spread across his face. "How can I help you, Garri?" He asked in the sweetest of voices, skipping around, the chaotic state of things sending him into near-euphoria.

However, his chaos-induced euphoria turned to worry when he saw the bespectacled male collapse to the floor on his knees, even as Lena tried to support and calm his shaking figure. "Garri . . . .?" Tommy called out with hesitation, his hands clasping together in order to bundle his confusion at the increasing flow of tears that began dotting the wooden floor with steady drips.

"Pain." Was all Rayne mumbled as she stood and tucked a strand of lilac hair behind her ear with a gloved hand. "Pain you can't stop."

. . . . . . . . .

 _ **Friends.**_

" _ **The four of us . . . . . . should be friends!"**_

 _ **H.**_

. . . . . . . . . .

Lykke watched with a distant gaze as the scalding water slid down her scarred palms in thick torrents, her limes muddled and swampy in their marshy green. Her lips parted and released a held in breath, covering the small mirror with thick fog – she bitterly smiled at the camouflage that temporarily hid her disfigured body from view, creating a mirage, even if it was shallow and only temporary.

As she sliced into her thumb with a small safety pin she'd carefully tucked away from authoritative eyes, she watched the blood mix with the hot water and disappear through the sinkhole, wandering how nice it would be if she could hide her scars forever.

And so her thoughts ran, as she continued cutting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time he'd entered, everyone was seated in the room, figures draped over the plush velvet couches. Q dug his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans, shuffling in quietly, an annoyed scowl deeply etched on his face – he hated the very smell of this room, located in the lower basement, on a floor lower than even Kurumi and Aran Nielsen's rooms. It smelled like lies and deceit and dust and from the quick and relieved gaze Lykke shot him, he knew his opinions were shared.

"Now that he has arrived, may we please commence this emergency meeting?" Her palms were placed on top of each other with subtle rigidity and her face had slightly hardened – as he took a seat furthest away from the gathered people, he could see she was straining to not run and grab her cleaning kit from her room, despite the usual composure of her voice. (Changes very subtle but they couldn't evade his eyes. And those of a few others).

"Explanations are not needed for the incorrigible circumstances that encircle us." Since the past three days, Kurumi had been growing increasingly irate – she had almost engaged in two skirmishes with Sawyer and had been on the verge of mortally wounding Florescu (though to be honest, those two DESERVED it, was what Q thought. Annoying specimen they were, Kurumi would make for very good pest control). She floated in the air with her bare feet crossed and the oversized straitjacket almost touching the floor with how close she hovered to the ground. Not to be said, Mami and the other teachers had increased their vigilance on her, despite how close the ties that linked the fourteen year old and the matriarch were. "There exists substantial evidence that the heathens have been foolishly courageous enough to confront God."

Even her usual monotone was laced with significant vehemence.

"But we still do not know the details of what happened, Masky." Tala sat upside down on a single armchair, her long feet dangling over its back and her silver mane pooling on the floor, wild locks scattered everywhere.

Before anyone could react, Kurumi sent a spurt of electricity towards the tall woman – Tala barely reacted as she felt the stinging heat scald a part of her hair and arm, her laidback expression freezing into a cold gaze. She jumped out of her place with extreme grace, thick locks swishing after her figure. "Be respectful to your God, Australopithecus." Kurumi's tone was incredibly bitter and loathing, the mask hiding ominous bearings behind its black steel.

"There's no need to resort to violence, Kurumi." Nyx was the first one to act, moving towards the two girls and the younger girl slowly turned to face her, still hovering a few metres off the ground. "And you're no God." She wouldn't let the tantrums of a child spoil today's important briefing.

Kurumi's pupils narrowed behind her mask.

Meanwhile, Atlas left her seat beside Anton (despite his whispered warnings) and approached Tala. "Are you okay, Dead?" Her pretty face was tinged with worry as she inspected the burnt skin and charred hair.

"Now that an Angel like you has asked" Atlas gasped with awe as the burnt skin was rapidly replaced by a new, overlaying patch of ivory membrane "I'm alright, sweetheart." Tala smirked wryly, leaning over the shorter girl.

Anton's face darkened and just as he jumped to his feet to save his sister from the greedy clutches of the masculine lesbian-

"NYX!" Eris' scream momentarily froze him.

Sharp blades of air cut through Nyx's skin as she was caught off guard, blood dropping out from long gashes on her arms – she bit back her scream of pain but the much faster Kurumi was right in front of her before the President could launch an assaulting barrage or defend herself. However, being even faster, Asriel knocked in between the two, hair an impossibly deep shade of black. "HOW DARE YOU HURT HER!" he screamed with anger as a small, jewelled ring on his finger morphed into an enormous, mangled scythe – he grabbed it by the hilt, expertly twirling it towards Kurumi who made a sweeping motion with her arms and the air pressure in the room greatly intensified.

Everything seemed to move slowly, very slowly for Nyx. She could see Eris running towards her, screaming for something (everything?) to stop, Lykke and Q standing up from their chairs, their Essences activating, Anton grabbing a yelling Atlas and releasing a translucent, pale force-field that enveloped the Wallin siblings and the nearby Tala, who was also watching the two clashing students with an unreadable gaze . . . . .

As Nyx's heels stood firm on the marble floor, a foregone conversation haunted her:

" _Did Mami tell you this?"_

 _She stared at the thirteen year old in front of her, bandaged arms firm beside her curves._

" _You hold conclusive verification of the Demon's destructive and diabolic tendencies, Seraphim."_

 _Kurumi's mask was intimidating and sociopathic but it instilled nothing in her._

" _Before you hurt him, you will have to pass through ME."_

 _Her words were quiet yet resolved, dual-coloured eyes shining._

" _God will pass judgement upon disobedient children. Your authoritative confidence holds no powers over Kurumi."_

 _Such a small, fragile body – yet capable of such great power and intellect._

" _As long as I exist, he won't do it again."_

 _Kurumi silently walked past, before uttering some last words._

" _A standard Homo Sapien of your calibre is not capable of impeding an inevitable occurrence." Her straitjacket fluttered behind as Nyx's fists tightened, throbbing with pain. "Eventually, the God and the Demon must collide as harbingers of the opposing."_

 _And then, she was gone, her footsteps quiet and non-existent on the grass._

 _Nyx stared at the bare trees, the last of the orange leaves hanging onto the skinny branches with remnants of hope – yet soon, a cold wind would blow and they would be littered to the ground, trampled and forgotten, losing their identity to the soil._

" _Even if it takes my life, I will . . . ."_

 _Fists clenched as her voice wavered._

" _. . . . Protect him."_

An immensely strong surge of power overwhelmed the whole room, completely dispelling Anton's barrier, scattering all Essences and Kurumi and Asriel fell to the ground, the fourteen year old feeling pain ride up her knees as they knocked against the cool marble but she uttered no sound, completely encompassed with tumultuous feelings as her hands surged to provide stability. The matte charcoal of Asriel's hair was now fading into a lighter shade, regressing to a violent red before fading to a snow white.

For a few seconds, everyone felt that their Essence had vanished.

But as soon as she felt the slightest gush of familiar power return to her body, Kurumi immediately composed herself, her palms cupped near each other as a crackling ball of electricity formed between them. Asriel snapped back to his senses too, his almost customary smile now replaced by gritted teeth as he flexed his fingers, picking up the scythe with one hand.

"Stop it, Kurumi" Lykke appeared right behind her, barely dodging a concentrated shot of air aimed at her. But before she could use her Essence-

Mami had moved, towering over Kirigaya and Kritanta, her stout, hunched form authoritative and majestic. Kurumi turned towards the matriarch, almost bristling underneath her stoic surface – but she made no motion to attack.

However, Asriel seemed to have other ideas.

"NO, AZ!" Nyx got up to her feet, the blood mostly having encompassed her arms – a still shocked Eris stood unsurely, torn between rushing to comfort her injured sister and stopping Asriel. (But deep inside . . . . . . fear awakened in her).

"DIE, YOU BITCH!"

The scythe had only raised itself to cut through the fourteen year old when a loud snap exploded through everyone's eardrums and it quickly regressed back into its jewelled form. The skinny male was ready to use his fists but someone else had moved in the room and grabbed his shoulder.

" _ **Unhand me, bastard."**_

With warm breath washing over his left ear and the sweet words of "Sleep, dear child" being whispered in his ear over and over again, Asriel could feel a strange, unfamiliar lethargy consume him. Never had his eyelids felt so heavy, legs feel so tired, rest seem so pleasant. So just this once . . . .

 _Just this once . . . . ._

" _ **NO! Not when I was so close-!"**_

 _Maybe he could dream about those beautiful gardens again . . . . ._

"ASRIEL!" Nyx rushed forward as the boy went limp in Shurik's arms but Eris hugged her from behind, her underdeveloped body pressed tightly against her back and arms wrapped in a strong hold around her stomach. The older Seraphim froze as she felt wet stains seep through her cheongsam, turning to look at the petite girl who refused to show her face, squashed against her. "Eris . . . . . ." she mumbled, realizing how selfish she'd been – she had only been thinking about Asriel, completely disregarding her young sister, who'd needed her protection the most.

What if . . . . . in the scuffle . . . . . . Eris had gotten hurt? Hadn't she made a promise – a promise to protect her and Tethys forever?!

 _She couldn't . . . . . she couldn't choose between them and Asriel . . . . ._

"You should get them bandaged, Nyx." Shurik's kindly placid words (thankfully) broke through her mentally shattered haze and the actual sting of the gashes began their onslaught on her – how funny it is, that once you have pushed something out of your sub consciousness, you cease feeling it until it makes an appearance in your memory again? Asriel was taking in small breaths, his face relaxed as the scruffy, bespectacled man motioned for the Seraphims to follow him to the infirmary.

Eris still refused to let go but from the quivering of her shoulders . . . . . it was obvious she was trying very hard to hold back tears.

"Yes, sir" Nyx mumbled, eyes snapping momentarily towards the now composed Kurumi, who refused to meet her gaze even from behind her impenetrable mask. And as the quartet exited the room, she realized she'd never had such strong feelings of dislike for someone before.

 _Except . . . . . . ._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"That was uncalled for" Lykke mumbled after the trio was gone, half-expecting a retort from Kurumi – whether it be Essence-related or verbal. But when the young girl remained quiet and her body began to scream at the smell of dust in the air, she turned towards Mami, her gaze questioning.

"So whoever these Neo-13 are" Q remarked as he turned a pale letter around in his fingers "They have issued an official challenge to us?" He finished on an unimpressed note. "Do they realize their foolishness or have they grossly underestimated our power?" Really, who WERE these enigmatic people? A surprise attack on the student council members themselves and now recently, they had moved into the school building even, challenging none other than Kirigaya Kurumi! That seemed to be a completely idiotic act in itself.

Mami sighed tiredly as she took off her reading glasses and placed them on a nearby table – with weak eyes, she surveyed the faces in the room. Cheerful Atlas who looked visibly shaken, Anton, whose usually guarded expression had turned fiercer, Q, who stared at the letter in his hands with focused eyes, Lykke, with her slumping shoulders and exhausted expression as she turned a lollipop around in her mouth and Tala, who was looking out the window intently.

Kurumi was completely still, an effigy of flesh and bone.

She was getting old, the German matriarch knew. And yet, these children here and the others scattered in school they were so young, not even touching adulthood yet. There was so much she needed to teach them, so much they had to see, to learn, to experience, to achieve . . . . . so much they had to live for yet. And as she felt her own clock of time tick away, she knew there was so, so much more she needed to do for them. _So, so much more._

"What are we to do, Mams?" Tala whistled softly, golden eyes blazing with subdued fire, long knees puckered to her chest. "Do we punch the living shit out of these goldfish who want to urinate in our ocean?"

Despite the drastically worded and crass symbolism the metaphors presented, every single mind resonated with the same question, all eyes turning upon Mami, seeking her to guide them out of the dark hole that threatened to swallow them. Although most of them wouldn't admit it, they were still young and inexperienced despite the horrible incidents that marred the canvas of their pasts and as naïve sheep treading on unfamiliar, dangerous waters, they reached out towards the herder, the only one who could show them the lighted path.

One day, they'd have to make their own way but till then, Olga Dmietrievna would guide them, be the lap they could rest their weary heads on.

"The Neo-13 have not hesitated to show us their power and the limits they will go to in their attacks against us." Q looked up from his letter, his dual eyes burning fiercely – even Kurumi stirred, crimson eyes glinting behind the intricate mask. "It is alright that they have challenged us but I will absolutely NOT bear this gross underestimation they have formed of us." Anton's back straightened as his jade orbs grew a strange light in them – Atlas recognised this face of her brother very well, and she knew that whoever these Neo-13 were, they were getting CRUSHED.

"Listen carefully, children." Mami's voice turned graver and louder, beaming with dignified authority as she addressed the six teenagers gathered in the room. "If it war that they want, it is war they will get. Tighten your resolves and straighten your backs for we must show them what it means to provoke us. I will adjoin a meeting with all the Selected soon but by then, I advise the Student Council and the Power Trio to remain on a lookout and push up your training. Missions will not be compromised but take every step and action carefully – beware of the unfriendly eyes that watch you from dark corners."

Tala's eyes were strange and cold to the words – Lykke nodded in ascension to Mami's instructions, heeding every word and fluctuation of tone.

Mami nodded. "Dismissed."

Lykke was the first to get up and speed walk out of the room but not before giving everyone a courteous bow and the Wallin siblings followed shortly after, Anton walking with a new rigidness as Atlas waved "Goodbye!" to everyone and jogged to match pace with her brother. Q handed the letter to Mami but before he could shuffle away with his hands deep inside his pockets, Mami coughed:

"Clyde is waiting for you on the first floor, Q." Freezing momentarily, he frowned unpleasantly and grumbled underneath his breath, not missing the underlying warning that rung through her sentence. Tala saluted everyone before picking up a chocolate bar from the sofa and running out – by the time Q realized that it belonged to him, he was already screeching the tall woman's head off as he chased her through the corridors on his short legs.

"YOU F-ING THIEVE OF AN S! I WILL HAVE YOUR F-ING HEAD FOR THIS, YOU OVERGROWN B!"

Tala jogged backwards (just to tease him, he was dead sure!), pulled up her left eyelid and wagged her tongue in a very canine-like manner at him. Over his limit, Q screamed loud enough for all of Berlin to hear – the bracelet on his wrist morphed into a large, elongated scissor blade after a momentary yet violent flicker of crimson light. "I WILL CUT YOU UP AND FEED YOU TO WOLVES, YOU MOTHERF-ING A!" He shouted, wielding the blade with deadly precision.

"Catch me first, Panda." Tala did a graceful twirl in the air with the utmost casualty, as if a murderous boy capable of her brutal death was not chasing her.

"NO RUNNING IN THE CORRIDORS!" Kim shouted at the two unruly teenagers while Aran, who was helping him carry some documents, stared after the running pair, wondering if Q would cut her into pieces horizontally or vertically.

' _He could do it diagonally too, though.'_

Mami couldn't help smiling after the two but hearing the rustle of fabric behind her, she slowly turned around, very sombre and suddenly, she looked ten years older. Kurumi echoed "Say it. God knows you're thinking it."

Mami's deep blue eyes stared at the girl – a _nd for a few seconds, she was not staring at a psychopathic, dangerous and horrifyingly strong fourteen year old but a small seven year old with a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts, large, warm brown eyes and soft, short strands of lovely black hair._

And then, the illusion was over.

"You promised, Kurumi." A small crackle of electricity wisped over the small girl's petite frame, some sparks inching close to Mami but the matriarch was unbothered and rigid as ever. "You had made a promise not to get involved with him until necessary."

" _ **Destroy him . . . ." She stared out of the window at the falling leaves, hands crossed behind her back – the weight of the words was too heavy on her old shoulders. "If he loses control again, you need to destroy him."**_

 _ **She nodded.**_

"Mami." Bare feet lifted from the ground as Kurumi hovered in the air, the grey straitjacket fluttering beneath her. "The demon within him slowly tries to crawl its way out and God has made a promise but never forget, you promised God not to interfere in personal altercations." Mami's lips thinned in displeasure, her shoulder slumping a little. "God will deal with him the way she sees as most fitting – even if it means removing troublesome, inconspicuous pests out of the way with unneeded force."

Her feet touched the ground and she made a motion to walk out. But stopping beside Mami, she whispered:

"God advises you to contain the pests with your own methods if you do not want God's interventions."

Minutes after the Japanese had left the room, Mami let out a long, tired, utterly weary sigh. Traces of regret filled her but she quickly swatted them away, reminding herself that what was done was irreversible now.

Spilled milk couldn't be collected back.

" _ **If Apep Chernobog Sutekh makes an appearance again . . . . . God WILL purge him"**_

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Lykke stared at the array of messages on her cell phone, disbelieving yet unsurprised at the same time.

 **10:32 a.m:** _'We're coming to get you for Halle's birthday shopping.'_

 **10:40 a.m:** _'Be ready – take a shower, clean you room, do whatever the fuck you need to do before we come.'_

 **11:27 a.m:** _'Don't dilly-dally.'_

 **11:52 a.m:** _'We're on the way.'_

A small jingle and a new message.

 **12:39 a.m:** _'We're here. Hurry up, Shrimp.'_

The redhead walked to the nearest window and peeked out. Outside the Gorgon-guarded gates of Mami's school, she could spy the familiar Veneno Roadster, its cerulean body glinting metallically under the pale sunlight.

She looked more carefully.

And sure enough, there were two figures seated inside, looking around, heads moving in search of her.

She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

' _Today is certainly a very exhausting day.'_

. . . . . . . . .

Madeleine had been quietly keeping to herself since morning on that Saturday, not leaving her room since morning except for breakfast. It was a half-day in Mami's schools with two batches of classes – fifty percent of the students had to attend them in the morning and the other fifty in the afternoon, lunch being the watershed. She was currently seated in her shared room with Tala Wilson (who had last been seen by her at breakfast) and was hard at work on her assessment report on the students, a good fraction of whom she had come into contact with and even managed to converse with in the past four days she'd been here. On rough paper, she had written names, some brief information about them, their personal information and whatever tid-bits she could get about their . . . . . 'mental illnesses.'

Actually, it was all a lie.

She deeply resisted the urge to tear up all her untidy, scribble-filled writings but her subconscious constantly reminded her that an invisible Atlas or Aria's mind may be spying on her at the very moment. So all she did was slump against the desk and internally scream and scream and scream.

' _(FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKKK THIS WOOOOOOOOORRRRRRLLLLLLDDDDDDD).'_

Madeleine had been doing nothing but trying to figure out the 'Essences' of the various students of Mami's School (for the Criminally Insane). But even in the four-and-a-half days of her stay, she only knew about Aria and Atlas – all the other information she had on the others were mere assumptions since none of them were careless or friendly (idiotic) enough like the red twin tails girl to reveal their alien powers so easily. She sighed in her arms, listening it echo through the wooden desk.

Twirling her pencil with utmost lethargy, she slowly raised herself to the level of the open window situated before her desk, desperately hoping some change of scenery would be good.

A very shiny cerulean car, expensive, with two people leaning against it was what caught her eye first. Although Madeleine was not at all familiar with cars and all their fancy, schmancy names and models, this particular one strongly resonated with her memories, hitting her with a good punch of negative familiarity.

She leaned against her desk, emerald eyes squinted despite knowing it'd do nothing to improve the view. _'Isn't that . . . .'_

And then, long, crimson hair and deep violet locks slapped her hard with a spoonful of realization. She was so surprised, a short scream escaped her and she fell backwards, crashed against the chair, hit her head rather hard and was forced to lie still for a while, head swimming while she stared at the ceiling, remembering two names with utter dislike.

' _Vivianne Rachel Frost and Oliver James Wulfric.'_

"No no no no no no" she chanted in a voice on the edge of hiccupping tears as she scrambled to her hurting feet as fast as she could, fingertips latched firmly against the desk. As soon as she was on her feet, she saw a red-headed figure – _Raven according to the fucking bowler hat –_ clamber into the backseat and close the door. Her jaw dropped as the vehicle proceeded to make a very exaggerated yet skilful U-turn on the outskirt road and sped off in the direction of Berlin, roaring well over the speed limit.

Madeleine proceeded to stare out of the window, all senses lost as scattered puzzle pieces clicked into place. Apprehension of the circumstances was like a stinging bitch slap to the face and it took her some composure to calm herself, smoothen her features but all the while, her knuckles were white and firmly clasped.

" _I am Raven Wulfric, a senior student in Mami's School for the Socially Troubled."_

" _Human lives intersect at crossed paths many times – some faces and names are imprinted to the memory while some are lost to the bubbling emotions we hold in our hearts."_

Liar. That BIG, FAT, FUCKING liar.

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 **(I would really like to wish a very Happy New Year to all of my dear readers and friends! I hope you guys have a fantabulous year filled with happiness and success ahead and be able to live with absolute contentment and satisfaction. Fulfil all your goals and dreams because life is way too short and uncertain to keep waiting for a 'better time'. Spend time with your friends, family and loved ones, have fun and don't ever overwork or stress yourself, smile freely and never lose confidence in yourself.**

 **All of the AEI Cast: HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS!)**

 **P.S: The song Rayne sings this chapter is 'Lilium' by Konishi Kayo and Yukio Kondo. It's a beautiful Latin melody so check it out if you want a good feel in that part of the chapter or simply like music.**


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